A Calgary courtroom heard shocking details Monday as the second-degree murder trial of Alex Xu began, revealing allegations that he killed his mother within 30 minutes of leaving a hospital where his concerned parents had taken him.
Prosecutors outlined a grim sequence of events from the early morning hours of June 30, 2023, when 56-year-old Alice (Jingying) Ai was found fatally injured in the northwest neighbourhood of St. Andrew's Heights.
Hospital Visit Preceded Attack
Crown prosecutor Paul Marcellus told jurors that Xu's parents brought him to Foothills Medical Centre in the early morning, expressing concern about his wellbeing. After he left the hospital just before 3 a.m., his mother followed him as his father went to the parkade.
Hospital security footage captured Xu leaving the facility, but there was a critical 20-minute gap before witnesses next spotted him on the street, the court heard.
Multiple Confessions Captured
According to the Crown's opening statement, Xu allegedly became "frustrated" with his mother during that window and used a large rock to attack her repeatedly with "crushing force."
The prosecution presented a striking pattern of confessions. An Uber driver who stopped to help reported that Xu told him: "I just murdered my mom and I need you to call 911." The driver immediately drove away and contacted police.
Xu then flagged down a second vehicle. That driver also received a confession—that Xu had "just murdered his mom with a boulder"—before placing Xu on the phone with 911 dispatchers, where Xu reportedly confessed again.
Scene Discovered at 3:30 a.m.
Police arrived within minutes. Xu allegedly pointed officers directly to where his mother's body lay on the street between two houses. He was arrested at the scene, still covered in blood, and had left his shoes at the location.
When officers found Alice Ai, she was unresponsive and face down with a severe wound to the back of her head. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The trial is expected to continue as the Crown presents witness testimony and physical evidence. Jurors will ultimately determine whether the Crown has proven guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This story is based on court proceedings reported by CBC Calgary.