Out of nowhere: public decapitation
BLACKSBURG, Va. – Alone and in a new country, graduate student XinYang reached out to other Chinese students at Virginia Tech when shearrived two weeks ago, trying to establish her life on campus.
She went to social events with international students,got in touch with the campus center that works to help them adjust andappeared to be making friends as she settled into her accountingprogram, those who had met her said.
Butone of the friendships may have led to her death: Police say she wasdecapitated with a kitchen knife while having coffee with a Chinesedoctoral student in a campus cafe Wednesday night.
What led to the attack is also a mystery: About seven other people whowere in the coffee shop told police that the two hadn’t been arguingbefore the attack. Beisecker said there hadn’t been previous signs oftrouble between them.