Testimony set in US trial over Chinese student’s slaying

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Testimony is set to begin in the murder trial of two men charged in the fatal shooting of a Syracuse University student from China.

Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick and defence lawyers for 24-year-old Cameron Isaac and 20-year-old Ninimbe Mitchell made their opening statements Tuesday. Both men are being tried together. Isaac is charged with first-degree murder while his nephew, Mitchell, is charged with second-degree murder.

Authorities say Isaac killed 23-year-old Yuan Xiaopeng (YOO’-en SHE’-ow-puhng), of Qingdao (cheeng-DOW’), during a marijuana deal that turned into a robbery at an apartment complex in suburban DeWitt on Sept. 30. Officials say Mitchell was the getaway driver.

Yuan was a junior studying mathematics at Syracuse University when he was killed.

Testimony begins Wednesday morning.