Barbara Wu University of California Riverside Student Murder Plot Trial to Go Forward; Victim of Cruel Joke or Femme Fatale? (Video)

Barbara Wu, a former University of California, Riverside student will have to stand trial on charges that she plotted to have ex-boyfriends murdered. Barbara Wu pleaded not guilty to six felony counts, including solicitation of murder and stalking. She is also charged with vandalism, witness intimidation and making criminal threats. It is alleged that the 22-year old honor student, Barbara Wu, asked her boyfriends to do away with her ex-boyfriends.

On Monday, a judge ruled that there was sufficient evidence for Barbara Wu to stand trial on charges of soliciting the murder of her two ex-boyfriends. Barbara Wu will stand trial on five felonies and two misdemeanors. The felonies include two counts of solicitation to commit murder and one of stalking.

Barbara Wu was accused of asking one boyfriend to abduct another, break his legs and kill him. Prosecutors say when the boyfriend came forward with the charges, another ex-boyfriend also stepped forward and reportedly told investigators Barbara Wu also asked him to a different boyfriend. The second boyfriend, identified as John Doe because he is considered a victim, said he believed he may have been the target of Barbara Wu’s alleged plot.

Barbara Wu was arrested on May 23.

John Doe testified that Barbara Wu asked if he would help Wu hit her ex-boyfriend the head, tie him up and torture him until he gave them his ATM card and PIN number in the preliminary hearing that began Friday, according to published reports.

The John Doe testified that Barbara Wu’s alleged plan was "He would be tied up and he'd be sitting there, and there were needles where she would slowly poke it into his hands -- his fingertips -- until he finally cracked and gave her the number." The John Doe testified that the couple would then knock the ex-boyfriend out, murder him and dispose of his body in Mexico.

The first boyfriend also testified against Barbara Wu on Friday. His testimony said that Barbara Wu asked him to break an ex-boyfriend’s legs, kick him in the groin and dispose of his body. He testified that Barbara Wu was angry that her ex had broken up with her via email. The former boyfriend admitted that helped Wu egg her ex-boyfriend's car and helped her post a sex ad on Craigslist. He testified that he went to the police when Barbara Wu asked him to help her murder the ex-boyfriend. The police had him wear a wire. The ex-boyfriend testified that he recorded a conversation in which Wu allegedly said she wanted to take out her ex in a Virginia Tech-style shooting at his apartment complex.

At the preliminary hearing, John Doe testified, "She was going to commit suicide. That she would rather go do as Virginia Tech, but she would try to contain it so that [the victim] would be in that shooting."
The boyfriend testified that he thought the plan was nonsense but that he believed that Wu was serious.

The John Doe testified "She told me that she would lure him out and while talking, I would smash him in the back of the head."

The second boyfriend who came forward said Wu planned to kill her high school boyfriend back in 2010. He testified he was with her when she bought a shovel, needles and duct tape.

Barbara Wu's lawyer, Rajan Maline, says the ex-boyfriend who was allegedly targeted made up the plots. Wu’s attorney claims the alleged murder plot was nothing more than talk since the two never actually laid out a plan. Wu's attorney Maline said, "Not a plan to harm him, not a plan to egg his car, to do further mischief to him, I'm talking about a plan to kill."

Wu pled not guilty to the charges. If convicted, Barbara Wu faces up to 15 years in prison.

Tags
world news
Barbara Wu
University of California
Riverside
murder
Plot
Join the Discussion

Latest Photo Gallery

Real Time Analytics