THE Office of the Attorney General, through Assistant Attorney General Steve Kessel, has requested the Superior Court to amend the information filed against Lingyang Kong who was originally charged with 2nd degree murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault & battery.
Kong, 34, will now be charged with manslaughter only.
Police said Kong fatally stabbed a man several times on New Year’s Eve.
After the filing of the information against Kong, the defendant, through Assistant Public Defender Vina Seelam, entered into settlement negotiations with the AG’s office, resulting in the signing and filing of a notice of plea agreement on May 17, 2022.
“In anticipation of the defendant entering a guilty plea to one count of manslaughter, amended information needs to be filed so the charging document is consistent with the plea agreement,” Kessel told the court.
According to the amended information against Kong, “on or about December 31, 2021…the defendant…unlawfully killed Songzhi Li in a sudden quarrel or heat of passion caused by unreasonable provocation.”
Manslaughter is punishable with imprisonment of not more than 10 years and/or a fine not to exceed $10,000.
Second degree murder is punishable with life imprisonment.
Kong’s 53-year-old co-defendant and girlfriend, Lyuqin Yi, was charged with accessory after the fact.
The court did not set a bail amount for the release of Kong, but it imposed a $25,000 cash bail on Yi.
According to court documents, Kong told police through a translator that the victim, Songzhi Li, invited him for some drinks at a bar in Garapan.
Sometime after arriving at the bar, Kong said he got into an argument with the victim’s girlfriend.
Kong said he exited the bar to end the argument, but the couple followed him outside.
He said after Songzhi Li assaulted him and Kong’s girlfriend, Kong reached for the pocket knife in his right back pocket, unfolded it and thrust it toward the victim.
Police said the victim suffered from multiple injuries to his upper body with lacerations on his head, neck, and upper torso and puncture wounds to his left rib cage.
The victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital on Jan. 1, 2022, at 6:35 a.m. due to multi-organ failure.
