Prosecution wants court to deny bid to junk case vs woman in New Year’s Day stabbing

The prosecution in the case of a woman who was allegedly involved in the stabbing death of a man on New Year’s Day is asking the Superior Court to deny the recent motion to dismiss filed by the defense.

In an eight-page opposition to Lyuqin Yi’s motion to dismiss, assistant attorney general Steven Kessel says Yi, the girlfriend of Ling Yang Kong, who is accused of stabbing another man to death, said the information the prosecution has provided is sufficient to allow Yi to adequately prepare her defense and avoid double jeopardy.

“In addition to the language of the statute, the information states the date of the offense, and where the violation occurred. It also alleges the action taken by the defendant, namely that she, knowing Kong had committed the crimes of second-degree murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and/ or assault and battery, hid a knife [used] in the commission of such crimes,” the prosecuting lawyer said.

Kessel also informed the court that the OAG’s criminal division also supplemented the information by providing the defense with over 250 pages of discovery materials, and numerous CDs containing photographs, video recordings, and other materials that also established that Yi hid a knife used by Kong in the killing of Songzhi Li.

“Taken together, the information provides sufficient information to allow Yi to adequately prepare her defense and avoid double jeopardy,” he said.

Meanwhile, in response to defense counsel Matthew J. Holley’s argument that there isn’t sufficient evidence to maintain the charge of accessory after the fact against his client, Yi, Kessel explained what “accessory after the fact” means under CNMI law.

“It is defined as ‘a person who, knowing that an offense against the Commonwealth has been committed, receives, relieves, comforts, or assists the offender in order to hinder or prevent the offender’s apprehension, trial or punishment, is an accessory after the fact,’” Kessel stated.

Yi is charged with accessory after the fact in the killing of Songzhi Li, a man who was allegedly stabbed several times on New Year’s Eve by her boyfriend Kong.

According to court documents, the couple was arrested in the early hours of Jan. 1, for their alleged involvement in the stabbing murder of Li.

Kong allegedly stabbed Li multiple times following an altercation between the two that stemmed from an altercation between their girlfriends.

Yi said in an interview that when she saw a pocket knife sticking out from Kong’s back pocket, she pulled it out and hid it behind a typhoon shutter near King’s Jewelry.