Connecticut police seek help from auto dealers on Yale murder case
Qinxuan Pan is wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting death of Kevin Jiang
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Police in Connecticut are asking for help from any auto dealerships in Connecticut or Massachusetts that may have come in contact with Qinxuan Pan, a person of interest in connection with the shooting death of a Yale graduate student and Army National Guard veteran last weekend.
Pan, 29, who is wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting death of Kevin Jiang, is believed to have visited numerous dealerships ahead of the Feb. 6 slaying, New Haven police said Friday.
Qinxuan Pan (New Haven Police Department) (New Haven Police Department)
They said he would ask to test drive the vehicles and say he was taking them to his mechanic for inspection.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CONNECTICUT POLICE ID PERSON OF INTEREST IN YALE MURDER MYSTERY AS MIT RESEARCHER
Police want to speak with dealership personnel who may have seen him in connection with the case. He remains a person of interest, not a suspect, but he is wanted separately on car theft charges in both states.
"If any car dealerships have had any contact with Qinxuan Pan in recent months, please contact the New Haven Police Department immediately," police said in a statement.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The department can be reached at 203-946-6304 – or anonymously at 1-866-888-8477. Tips can also be submitted via email to ECIC@newhaventct.gov.
Anyone with information on Pan’s whereabouts can also contact the U.S. Marshals at 1-877-926-8332.
Prior to the shooting, Jiang had been involved in a car accident, police said, and they were investigating the possibility that it was intentional. Police said that Jiang, 26, may have been "targeted" in what appeared to be a road rage incident.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The U.S. Marshals Service said Thursday that it is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to Pan’s arrest.
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He was last seen outside Atlanta, Georgia, Thursday morning, authorities said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jiang was killed a week after becoming engaged to his girlfriend, Zion Perry.
Kevin Jiang proposed to Zion Perry on Jan. 30 - a year after they met at a church retreat in Connecticut. (Facebook)
Police were investigating whether Jiang and Pan had any previous ties. Like Perry, Pan attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.
Jiang was an active volunteer at his local church and met Perry at a religious retreat just over a year ago. He would have turned 27 on Sunday.