Naperville man found guilty of beating wife to death in 2020

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — A Naperville man has been found guilty of beating his wife to death in early 2020.

Alan Wang, a 61-year-old man who formerly resided in Naperville, was found guilty of first-degree murder following a four-day trial that concluded back in September, DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin announced Wednesday.

According to Berlin, the investigation against Wang began on March 8, 2020, after Naperville police and fire crews were called to Wang’s home, where he lived with his wife, 35-year-old Hongyan Yang, on a report that she was not breathing.

Crews quickly took the Yang to the hospital, where she was subsequently pronounced dead.

Further investigation indicated that during an altercation the night before, Wang found texts on her phone from another man and kicked her multiple times.

The next day, a relative of the couple called 911 after they found Yang not breathing.

Wang was arrested and charged with one count of aggravated domestic battery and appeared at a bond hearing on March 11, 2020, where his bond was set at $850,000 with 10% to apply. He posted the $85,000 and was released from custody on electronic monitoring.

But in June of 2020, after an autopsy revealed that Yang died as a result of blunt force trauma due to assault, Wang’s charges were upgraded and he was indicted on two counts of first-degree murder.

Wang’s bond was increased to $1,250,000 on July 8, 2020, and he has remained in custody since that date.

The case went to trial last month and concluded on Sept. 12.

The verdict was handed down by Judge O’Hallaren Walsh.

“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Violent Death Reporting System, in 2020, the year Hongyan Yang was murdered, 1,364 women lost their lives to domestic violence,” Berlin said. “Those thirteen-hundred-plus women are not just a statistic however, they were mothers, daughters and sisters, each of whom had a full life ahead of them. Their tragic deaths remind us we have a long way to go in preventing domestic violence. Judge O’Hallaren Walsh’s guilty verdict ensures that Mr. Wang will be held responsible for the brutal murder of his wife, Hongyan. To Hongyan’s surviving family and friends, I offer my sincerest condolences on their loss and wish them strength as they continue their lives without the love and support she once provided.”

Wang is set to return to court for post-trial motions on November 12.