The slaying of PCC alumna Liya “Jessie” Lu is one of the most horrible tragedies to ever hit the PCC community.
Her death in itself is bad enough, but the treatment she received after death is completely unimaginable.
Isaac Campbell, a former PCC student, is accused of killing Lu and then allegedly putting her body into a plastic bag.
The bag was filled with clothes and kitty litter, and then placed in a trashcan and sealed. Recent court proceedings revealed gruesome details surrounding Lu’s death.
Campbell recently testified to an Alhambra Court that Lu did in fact die in his apartment. In his testimony, Campbell said the two had an argument after which he left the room. When he returned she was on the floor, lifeless and non-responsive.
Campbell also said in his testimony that he did not call authorities because of his encounters with police in the past, and he did not want to be blamed for Lu’s death. Any reasonable person would have called 9-1-1, even if they had a bad reputation with police.
Campbell’s friend Michael Darby found Lu’s body in a trashcan that Campbell had asked him to store in his garage.
The kitty litter in the bag had absorbed all moisture, mummifying the body. This resulted in an inconclusive autopsy, with the cause of death remaining unknown. Lu’s family and friends have been left questioning how her last moments were spent.
The truth is that no matter what happened to Liya “Jessie” Lu, or how Campbell was involved, she deserved better treatment than she received. No person should be treated that way before or after death.
Lu’s parents, who live in China and speak little English, have made several trips from China to attend the trial.
They have been unable to understand anything said at the trial, but believe Campbell did kill their daughter.
Campbell described acts so horrifying they sound like something from fiction. One of them was responding to the text messages on Lu’s phone from her cousin after he knew she was dead.
The PCC community includes a wide range of people. We trust most of these people are unable to commit acts like these. But one never knows what some are capable of doing. If it serves no other purpose this trial is a reminder that we all must be forever vigilant.
No matter what the outcome for Campbell, nothing can compare to the anguish and sadness that Lu’s family must now endure.
- EDITORIAL: Apologize about the real problem - April 23, 2014
- STATEMENT: District apologizes to Oscar winning alum - April 21, 2014
- EDITORIAL: The Forgotten Students - March 26, 2014
