Homicide probe begins over dead Chinese student in Iowa

A woman's body found in the trunk of a car in Iowa City, Iowa, has been identified as a missing Chinese student from Iowa State University and police are treating her death as a homicide.

The body of Shao Tong, 20, was discovered on September 26 in the trunk of beige 1997 Toyota Camry that she bought this summer as she completed an internship in Kentucky, according to the Press-Citizen.

"The circumstances surrounding the death are suspicious and the investigation is being treated as a homicide," according to a statement provided by Matthew J. Wagner of the Iowa City Police Department to China Daily.

Although the officer refused to comment further at this time, he said the Iowa City Police Department is continuing to investigate with assistance from the Ames Police Department, the Iowa State Patrol, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Johnson County Medical Examiner's office, the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, the Coralville Police Department, the University of Iowa Police and the Johnson County Attorney.

Authorities have said they are looking for Iowa student Li Xiangnan, 23, as a "person of interest" in the case. "We have reason to believe that Li is in China at this time," said Sgt. Scott Gaarde, public information officer with the Iowa City Police Department.

The Iowa City Area Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $1,000 cash reward for information leading to the arrest of suspects in the case.

From an earlier statement released by the city of Ames, Iowa, Shao was last seen in Ames on September 6 at around 7 p.m.

Friends of Shao reported that they got a message from her on September 8, stating that she was in Iowa City, which was the last report from her.

Steven Leath, president of Iowa State University, issued a statement on Monday to express sympathies to Shao's family and friends in China and the US.

"We were saddened to learn just after 5 pm Monday that the body of a young woman found in Iowa City is that of Tong Shao, an Iowa State junior who was majoring in chemical engineering," said the statement.