Dec. 13, 2021 By Michael Dorgan
A Flushing man has been indicted for the horrific sexual assault and murder of a woman at his Main Street apartment building last month.
Qiuming Wan, 52, was indicted on murder and sex abuse charges by a grand jury Thursday for sodomizing his 29-year-old victim to death with a blunt object, according to the criminal complaint.
The victim, Joamei Zhou, was found by police in the vestibule of 55-26 Main St. on Nov. 1 at around 11:30 p.m.
Zhou was lying clothed on the floor with her torso area covered in blood. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
“The brutality of this crime and the subsequent disregard for this young woman belies a level of callousness that must be held to account,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement Friday.
The killing took place after the pair had been drinking all day inside Wan’s bedroom on the second floor of the apartment building. They both knew one another and had arranged to meet up earlier in the day, according to the charges. Wan shared the three-bedroom apartment with a family.
Wan, according to the charges, allegedly began penetrating her with a blunt object while inside the apartment, leading to severe blood loss.
He then dragged Zhou down the stairs to the first-floor vestibule where police later found her dead. A trail of blood led police to the apartment. She died as a result of blood loss and repeated penetration, according to the Medical Examiner.
Police said that when they arrived at the scene Wan’s clothes and sneakers were covered in blood. He claimed to not know where the blood came from when questioned by cops, according to the complaint.
Wan has also been accused of tampering with the evidence. He allegedly wiped up the blood-splattered bedroom and bathroom floors, and bagged up the blood-soaked sheets.
He was arraigned on a six-count indictment in total; two counts of murder; aggravated sexual abuse; sexual abuse; tampering with physical evidence and criminal possession of a weapon.
Wan faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted and was ordered to return to court on Jan. 25.
One Comment
If he’s capable of it, let his rehabilitation last a lifetime.