BEIJING — 1994 · Suspicious Death
The Thallium Poisoning of Tsinghua Student Zhu Ling
Zhu Ling, a chemistry student at Tsinghua University, was hospitalised in late 1994 with unexplained abdominal pain, hair loss and neurological problems. When she worsened and fell into a coma, her friends made an international appeal over the internet in 1995; doctors around the world pointed to possible thallium poisoning, which was confirmed. She survived but was left permanently disabled. Although deliberate poisoning was established, police closed the investigation without result in 1998 for lack of evidence, and no one was tried. The case returned to public attention in 2013 after a similar poisoning. Zhu Ling died on 22 December 2023.
- Date
- 1994
- Place
- Haidian, Beijing, China, Beijing, CN
- Category
- Suspicious Death
- Case Status
- Unsolved
- Coordinates
- 40.0000, 116.3260 ↗
Timeline of Events
- November 1994Zhu Ling showed the first symptoms.
- 1995An internet appeal led to a diagnosis of thallium poisoning.
- 1998Police closed the investigation for lack of evidence.
- 2013The case returned to public attention.
- 22 December 2023Zhu Ling died.
Sources
- CNN — China poisoning case spurs renewed interest in 1995 mystery edition.cnn.com ↗
- Wikipedia — Thallium poisoning case of Zhu Ling en.wikipedia.org ↗
- CNN
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.