Coronavirus Researcher On The ‘Verge’ Of A ‘Breakthrough’ Killed In A Murder-Suicide

iStockphoto


Dr. Bing Liu, a 37-year-old University of Pittsburgh researcher, was killed in an apparent murder-suicide on Saturday, May 2. Police say Liu was killed in his Pittsburgh-area townhouse by 46-year old Hao Gu, who then went outside to his car and killed himself.

In a statement, Ross Township Det. Brian Kolhepp said that the police department has found “zero” evidence connecting Dr. Liu’s murder to his research.

“We have found zero evidence that this tragic event has anything to do with employment at the University of Pittsburgh, any work being conducted at the University of Pittsburgh and the current health crisis affecting the United States and the world,” Detective Kolhepp said.

On Wednesday, May 6, police said that Wednesday that the two men knew each other and the suspected murder-suicide was a result of a lengthy dispute regarding an intimate partner.

According to Dr. Liu’s University of Pittsburgh colleagues, the 37-year-old was on the “verge of making very significant findings.”

Bing was on the verge of making very significant findings toward understanding the cellular mechanisms that underlie SARS-CoV-2 infection and the cellular basis of the following complications.

“We will make an effort to complete what he started in an effort to pay homage to his scientific excellence. His loss will be felt throughout the entire scientific community,” the Department of Computational and Systems Biology in the Pitt School of Medicine said in an official statement.

Our thoughts are with Dr. Liu’s friends, family, and loved ones during this difficult time.

***

Eric is a New York City-based writer who still isn’t quite sure how he’s allowed to have this much fun for a living and will tell anyone who listens that Gotham City is canonically in New Jersey. Follow him on Twitter @eric_ital for movie and soccer takes or contact him eric@brobible.com

Eric Italiano BroBIble avatar
Eric Italiano is a NYC-based writer who spearheads BroBible's Pop Culture and Entertainment content. He covers topics such as Movies, TV, and Video Games, while interviewing actors, directors, and writers.