Lincolnwood restaurant owner charged with strangling pregnant girlfriend to death, hiding body

CHICAGO (WLS) — A north suburban restaurant proprietor is accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend and his unborn youngster after which hiding her physique.

Yaer Shen, 46, is charged with first-degree homicide, intentional murder of an unborn youngster and concealment of a homicidal loss of life in reference to the loss of life of Bilian Fang, 40, of Chicago.

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Prosecutors stated Fang was courting Shen and was 8 months pregnant along with his youngster on the time of her homicide. She was working at a Lincolnwood restaurant owned by Shen.

Within the afternoon on Oct. 9, prosecutors stated Shen drove Fang to his house the place he lived along with his ex-wife and youngsters. After moving into an argument about cash and funds whereas exterior the house, prosecutors stated Shen went inside his house and left Fang within the car. She then went to his entrance porch and started crying, the place Shen’s ex-wife discovered her. Prosecutors stated she was unaware Shen was courting Fang or that she was pregnant.

Later that night, Shen was driving with Fang when she known as her 14-year-old daughter from Shen’s cellphone round 10:50 p.m. Prosecutors stated she had to make use of Shen’s cellphone as a result of he had damaged hers the day after an argument. Fang requested her daughter to ask a buddy to select her up at thirty sixth and California, however when he confirmed up, he could not discover her.

Fang’s daughter known as Shen again, the place he advised her one thing to the impact of “She may go if she wished to” earlier than hanging up. Fang then known as her daughter again and once more requested for the buddy to select her up at thirty sixth and California. Her daughter advised prosecutors she may hear Shen within the background arguing along with her mom. Her daughter then known as Shen’s cellphone once more a while earlier than midnight, however nobody answered.

As Shen and Fang continued to drive, prosecutors stated they bought into an argument that turned bodily and Fang slapped Shen within the face. In accordance with prosecutors, Shen used each of arms to strangle Fang round her neck. He let go briefly whereas she was nonetheless acutely aware and noticed she had seen bruising on her neck and a swollen face. They continued arguing and Shen grew to become frightened she would name police, prosecutors stated, so Shen started to strangle her once more. At that time, she misplaced consciousness and Shen tried to revive her with CPR.

Prosecutors stated Shen then drove down Cicero Avenue to eliminate her physique in Stickney water reclamation space, the place he coated her physique with branches and threw her pink jacket right into a wooded space.

Fang’s daughter known as Shen a number of instances the following day to ask the place she was, and in every name, he advised her to be affected person, prosecutors stated. They reported her lacking on Oct. 10 and knowledgeable police that she had final been seen with Shen and was pregnant along with his youngster.

Utilizing mobile phone knowledge, prosecutors stated police traced Shen’s location that night time and obtained pod digital camera video of him sitting in a car parking zone close to a soccer area at Morton School for round 45 minutes earlier than driving towards the Stickney water reclamation space. About two hours later, a license plate reader picked up Shen’s car leaving Cicero Avenue.

Prosecutors stated police positioned Fang’s physique and her pink jacket on the water reclamation space. Contained in the jacket, detectives discovered her ID, keys, money and a be aware. The be aware was handwritten in Cantonese and signed by Shen, prosecutors stated. It learn, in abstract, “I’m sorry. I

am not an excellent particular person. I made you endure. I bought scammed. I do know it’s irresponsible for me to depart you. I hope we do not meet in one other life.”

The medical expert carried out an post-mortem on Fang and located the trigger and method of loss of life had been a number of blunt drive trauma that had been per strangulation and murder, prosecutors stated. Burrs that had been discovered on Fang’s physique had been additionally positioned in Shen’s car on the motive force’s facet floorboard.

Prosecutors stated a separate post-mortem on the unborn youngster decided their loss of life was additionally a murder and if the infant had been born on the time Fang was killed, the kid would have survived.

Prosecutors stated Shen was arrested on Nov. 1 and admitted to detectives in Cantonese that he had strangled Fang to loss of life after which hid her physique. Detectives stated they discovered a be aware in his pockets that said, in abstract, that he had completed very dangerous issues, he wished to kill himself, however could not do it, and that he was going to show himself in, however was afraid to go to jail.

In a search of Shen’s house, prosecutors stated police additionally discovered a letter underneath his mattress that seemed to be written to his ex-wife. The be aware stated the next in Cantonese, in abstract: “Within the warmth of the second, I did one thing improper. I’m regretful that within the warmth of the second, I brought on a giant mistake.”

Shen appeared in bond court docket Thursday the place the choose denied him bail.