You Zhu- Maryland- 2003 (ACQUITTED)

(Above photo credit: amw.com archives)

Fugitive Profile as of May 18th, 2015 (based on 2006 AMW archive, please contact site with more recent information):

Sex: Male
Race: Asian
Age Now: 30-32
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 160 lbs.
Hair (Color, Description, Facial Hair): Black. His natural hair is black, but he may have dyed it brown or another color.
Eyes (Color and Correction): Brown
Traits & Habits: Speaks very little English, Very good with a knife and is probably working in a kitchen somewhere
Last Seen: Greenbelt, Maryland
Other Possible Locations: Brooklyn, NY. New York City area, NY. Most likely living in a Chinese community on the east coast or west coast.
Who to call if you've seen him: Based on wanted location, our advice is to contact Prince George's County, Maryland Crime Solvers. 1-866-411-TIPS or submit a web tip to them at the following link: tipsubmit.com/webtips.aspx?agencyID=266

You Xiang Zhu was aired as a break-four tease on the November 13th, 2004 episode of America's Most Wanted. Below is the AMW archive description of his case:

Cops Say He Hired A Cook, But What He Got Was A Killer

In the summer of 2003, the owners of a Chinese restaurant in Greenbelt, MD, needed help staffing their kitchen. So, they called an employment agency in New York City that helps Chinese immigrants find work. The agency sent them a new cook, You Xiang Zhu. The restaurant's manger, Eugene Gao, was gracious enough to let Zhu stay at his own home. After all, there were several other employees staying there, and there had never been a problem. Cops say, that was until Zhu came along.

Eugene had been living the American dream. He came to this country when he was only 16-years-old and had created a nice life for himself. In July of 2003, he had a good job, owned his own home, was engaged, and most exciting of all, they were expecting a baby

Meanwhile, back at the restaurant, issues were arising. The new cook, Zhu, wasn't making many friends. In fact, cops say he acted strange, was somewhat temperamental, and made the working environment uncomfortable for the other employees. Detectives claim this led to Zhu being fired just a few weeks after starting at the restaurant. Cops believe this infuriated Zhu so much, it drove him to murder.

The Day Everything Changed

About three weeks after Zhu was let go, things were back to normal. Eugene's parents were on an extended visit from China. They were anxiously awaiting the birth of their grandchild and were in town to help with anything they could.

On July 27, 2003, Eugene's mother, Yu Ying Yang, was preparing some food in the kitchen. Her husband, Guang Song Gao, was in an upstairs bedroom, and Eugene's fiancée, Michelle, was watching TV, in another room. Cops say that's when an intruder broke in and began to attack Eugene's mother. Hearing his wife's cries for help, Guang Song Gao came rushing down the stairs to fend off the attacker. Also hearing the screams from below, Michelle went to the top of the stairwell and was able to get a good look at the attacker. Unfortunately, cops say the intruder saw her, too. Detectives claim that Zhu, knowing he would be identified, ran up the stairs after Michelle. Investigators believe Zhu had every intention of killing everyone who was home that day, even Michelle and her unborn child. Luckily, Michelle was able to get into a room and hold the door shut while the attacker tried to get in. Police say, that after trying to bust down the door for a minute or two, Zhu took off out a back entrance.

As soon as police arrived on the scene, they transported Eugene's parents to the hospital. Sadly, Eugene's mother had been stabbed through her heart and died several hours later. His father had been stabbed as well, but his injuries were much less serious. Cops quickly began to work the scene and almost immediately had a name to go on.

Finding Zhu

Although cops had a suspect, finding him would be extremely difficult. There is not only a huge language barrier, but people within the Chinese community have been extremely hesitant to speak with the police. In their home country, the authorities are not always your best allies and trying to make them believe it is different in America has not been easy.

Even dealing with the Chinese government has been a daunting task for investigators. However, they have come across one piece of pretty interesting information. Detectives say they've learned that Zhu may be wanted in China for another murder. Cops say they have information that Zhu may have murdered a man as part of a love triangle. This information only leads cops to believe that it isn't likely that Zhu will be returning to China. That's why authorities think it is so important to catch Zhu. They say he's a man who has killed once, maybe twice, and at this point has nothing to lose.

Thoughts? I checked the Maryland court case search system and there is still an active warrant for You Zhu, making it all the more surprising to me Zhu only got a break-four tease, once, and that's it, the entire decade plus he's been on the run. One would think perhaps it's an indication it's believed Zhu fled back to China, where it would be difficult to nab him as a direct result capture, but apparently he may have killed someone there and may not have necessarily fled back there. His AMW profile lists Brooklyn and NYC and any Chinese restaurant on the east or west coast as possibilities.

web.archive.org/web/20051111030307/http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=28121

casesearch.courts.state.md.us/casesearch/inquiryDetail.jis?caseId=2E00230505&loc=19&detailLoc=DSCR

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