SANTA CLARA, CA – A software engineer from Google, discovered in a blood-soaked state, is under investigation for the alleged murder of his wife at their California residence, according to law enforcement officials.
The Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office reported that a welfare check was requested at the home of 27-year-old Liren Chen, located a few miles south of Google’s Silicon Valley headquarters. Google verified that both Chen and his wife, Xuanyi Yu, were employed by the tech company at the time of the incident.
The call to 911 was made by a friend of Chen’s who voiced concerns about the couple’s well-being on January 16. The friend told authorities that he observed Chen through a window, appearing motionless on his knees with his hands raised.
When police arrived at the scene, Chen reportedly did not respond to attempts to contact him via phone or at his front door. Once inside the house, officers found Chen at the alleged murder scene, his right hand extremely swollen and discolored, near his wife’s body.
Officials reported that Yu had sustained severe blunt force injuries to her head. Chen, who was found with blood on his clothing, arms, and legs, and scratches on his arm, has been charged with murder and could face imprisonment if convicted.
Chen’s arraignment has been postponed until January 22 due to his current hospitalization, according to court records.
“Domestic violence fatalities have been decreasing in our county, but that doesn’t reflect the profound and destructive nature of the violence,” stated District Attorney Jeff Rosen. He urged anyone experiencing abuse to contact local law enforcement, reassuring them that help is available.
Google spokesperson Bailey Tomson expressed the company’s shock and deep sadness over the incident, offering condolences to Xuanyi’s family and pledging support to them and to colleagues coming to terms with the tragic news.
Both Chen and Yu were alumni of Tsinghua University in China and the University of California San Diego, as per their LinkedIn profiles.