Crystal clear motive or remarkable coincidence?
A Texas man charged with murdering his wife will hope a jury buys the latter as prosecutors revealed she signed a $250,000 life insurance policy just two days before her untimely demise.
Christopher Collins, 41, is accused of killing his 46-year-old wife Yuanhua Liang and going “to great lengths” to make her shooting death appear the handiwork of a home invader.
Investigators say Collins called the cops from the gym on November 18 to report that his wife had just texted him about an intruder at their northwest Harris County home, ABC 13 reported. The husband then drove to his home to meet law enforcement, who found Liang fatally shot in the living room.
Yet, oddly, the residence had not been ransacked and soon other details began to hint that there was more to Collins’s story than met the eye.
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Gym surveillance video showed Collins pacing around for 45 minutes and working out for just five minutes before he went to the gym’s cafe to call police, investigators said. Cops also searched a locker at the gym where they found Liang’s wallet — which Collins had reported missing — and her cosmetic bag.
Collins, a former member of the military, claimed his wife was often “paranoid” as he tried to explain why he took 45 minutes to return home after Liang, a Chinese national, texted him about the intruder. The husband also allegedly said that he used security cameras installed at the home to check on his wife when he was abroad but somehow didn’t think to access them that day.
Liang was shot with a small-caliber handgun while wearing a sleep mask and was found with a bag over her head, officials said. Prosecutors argued in court on Thanksgiving morning that a victim’s face is commonly covered when the suspect doesn’t want to watch someone they know die, ABC 13 reported.
A police search of the residence also uncovered a potential motive for murder – a life insurance policy worth $250,000 signed by Liang just two days earlier.
What is more, a .22 caliber live round similar to the one which killed Liang was found in Collins’ pocket, according to investigators.
Collins is being held in jail on a $150,000 bond. A judge has ordered him to surrender his passport and not speak with any witnesses.