CHICAGO (AP) — A man has been charged with murdering his pregnant girlfriend, who had gone missing last month.
Year Shen, 46, is charged with one felony count of first-degree murder, one of intentional homicide of an unborn child, and one of concealing a homicidal death.
Shen was arrested at his home in the Park neighborhood on Tuesday. Authorities believe he is responsible for the death of his missing pregnant girlfriend, Bilian Fang, 40.
Fang, who was eight months pregnant then, went missing on October 9 from the 3000 block of South Lock Street.
According to the State’s Attorney’s Office for Cook County, Shen and Fang argued verbally when Year allegedly strangled the woman to death.
According to court documents, Shen and Fang were dating at the time, and Fang was carrying Shen’s child. She also worked at Shen’s restaurant in Lincolnwood.
According to the documents, Fang attempted to contact her 14-year-old daughter numerous times before the incident. She didn’t have a phone because Shen allegedly broke hers during a verbal altercation the day before.
Shen allegedly drove to the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant after strangling Fang. An autopsy on the unborn baby revealed that it would have survived if it had received medical attention after the slaying.
Detectives claimed they discovered a handwritten Cantonese note signed by Shen in Fang’s jacket, which stated in summary but not verbatim:
“Please accept my apologies. I’m not a nice person. You suffered because of me. I had been duped. I’m aware that leaving you is a bad decision on my part. We probably won’t run into each other again.”
Prosecutors claimed that after Shen was arrested, he confessed to the murder.
On Thursday, Shen was denied bail.