Family of slain Purdue student might come to U.S.

WEST LAFAYETTE -- Friends of a Purdue University graduate student found dead inside a car trunk are raising money to bring his parents to the United States from China for a visit.\nDismembered remains found in August near Chicago O'Hare International Airport were identified as those of Lei He, 28, a graduate student in mechanical engineering.\nPolice investigators suspect Lei He was killed by his wife, Danlei Chen, 28, at their downtown Lafayette apartment.\nMembers of the Purdue Chinese Student and Scholar Association hope to raise at least $3,000 to bring Jianchen He and Yuhau Fang to West Lafayette so they can meet some of their late son's friends and colleagues. The money would also be used to send their son's remains and personal belongings back to Shanghai.\n"They want to put closure in their hearts; they're not holding up well. They've been in poor health because of this," said Wei Hong, an associate professor of Chinese at Purdue who has kept in contact with the parents. "He was the only son in the family, the only child in the family. They have no children anymore."\nHong said that Jianchen He and Yuhau Fang had high hopes for their son, who was a couple of years away from earning a doctoral degree in mechanical engineering.\nTippecanoe County Prosecutor Jerry Bean said that based on information he has received from the U.S. Department of Justice, he does not expect Chen to be returned to the United States to face charges in the killing.\nThe United States does not have an extradition treaty with China.\nBean said he has been told Chen remains in the custody of Chinese law enforcement and there is little likelihood Chinese authorities will turn her over to U.S. officials. Unless that situation changes, Bean said he has no plans to file charges against Chen in connection with her husband's death.