Yue Jiang, a 19-year-old female Chinese international student, was a sophomore studying business at Arizona State University. On the afternoon of January 16, 2016, her life was cut short in a senseless act of violence in Tempe, Arizona. She and a friend were stopped at a red light in her Mercedes when their vehicle was rear-ended by a Volkswagen Passat driven by 32-year-old Holly Davis.
What began as a minor fender-bender quickly escalated into a fatal encounter. Jiang's friend got out of the car to check the damage but promptly returned after seeing that Davis was holding a gun. Davis then exited her own vehicle, walked over to the driver's side of Jiang's car, and opened fire, shooting Yue Jiang multiple times. Despite being grievously wounded, Jiang attempted to drive away by making a U-turn. However, she lost control of her car, which then crossed into oncoming traffic and collided with another vehicle carrying five people, including a pregnant woman and three children. Yue Jiang was transported to a local hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. The occupants of the third car sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Holly Davis fled the scene of the shooting. She was later apprehended by police at an apartment in Mesa where she lived with her boyfriend. Investigators found that Davis had attempted to conceal both her car and the weapon used in the shooting. Evidence suggested that Davis may have been planning violence, as a note was found in her apartment. It was also revealed that Davis had a criminal record, having previously been convicted and sentenced to prison in Missouri for fleeing from a lawful stop. Authorities noted that Davis might suffer from depression and addiction, and she had expressed a desire to be shot by law enforcement.
Davis was initially charged with first-degree premeditated murder, among other felonies. However, she later accepted a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree murder. This plea deal was met with anguish and opposition from Yue Jiang's family, who traveled from China to attend the court proceedings and advocated for a life sentence. In June 2018, a judge sentenced Holly Davis to a mandatory 25 years in prison for the murder of Yue Jiang. During the sentencing, the judge described the act as 'monstrous... senseless, and... cruel.' Davis expressed remorse in court, stating that she was sorry and would take Jiang's place if she could.
