SUPERIOR Court Presiding Judge Roberto C. Naraja has assigned a homicide case to Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho.
The defendants are Lingyang Kong and Lyuqin Yi.
Kong, 34, has pled not guilty to the charges of second degree murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault and battery while Yi, 53, has pled not guilty to the charge of accessory after the fact.
The defendants appeared in court Monday in the custody of the Department of Corrections via videoconference. Kong was represented by Assistant Public Defender Emily Thomsen while Yi was represented by attorney Matthew Holley. Interpreters were also provided to the defendants.
Assistant Attorney General Steve Kessel appeared for the government.
The court did not set any bail amount for Kong but imposed a $25,000 cash bail on Yi.
Judge Naraja scheduled a case management conference for March 2 at 10 a.m. and ordered the parties to advise the court whether the matter will be disposed of by a change of plea, trial, or other disposition.
“The parties should also be prepared to select a trial date for this case,” the judge added.
According to police, the victim, Zhongyi Li, was fatally stabbed by Kong during an altercation in downtown Garapan on New Year’s Eve. Kong’s girlfriend, Yi, then tried to hide the knife that Kong used to stab Li, police said.
Police also 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 on Jan. 1, 2022, at 6:35 a.m. by Dr. Elizabeth Culp of the Commonwealth Health Center due to multi-organ failure.
Joseph N. Camacho
