SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — The trial for the University of Utah student accused of killing another international student in a motel is set to move forward after the court determined he was “competent to proceed.”
Haoyu Wang was found not competent to stand trial nearly a year ago on Feb. 10 after months of mental health evaluations. He was sent to the Utah State Hospital for treatment of several previously diagnosed mental illnesses and given 37 months at most to be restored to competence, under state regulations.
If he was not determined competent at the end of 37 months, the judge could dismiss the murder charge entirely.
On Jan. 25 — nearly 24 months later — Wang, who is now 28, was deemed competent to proceed with the trial and has his next status conference on Monday.
PREVIOUS STORY: U of U student accused of murder found not competent to stand trial
Wang is accused of murdering Zhifan Dong, an international student from China, in an attempted murder-suicide on Feb. 11, 2022. Salt Lake City Police say Wang, who was also a U of U student, sent an email to university staff that day saying he and Dong intended to commit suicide together.