CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- UNC-Chapel Hill associate professor Hongbin Gu is still coming to grips with the murder of her friend and colleague, Feng Liu.
- Authorities say in 2014, he went for a walk by himself when Troy Arrington, Jr. and Derick Davis II robbed and hit him in the back of his head with a rock.
- This week, Davis pleaded guilty to robbery and second degree murder in Orange County court.
- Arrington is currently serving a life sentence for first degree murder after a jury convicted him in 2017.
“Try to make sense of what was going on and why that happened and what we can do to make sure bad things like this won't happen again,” she said.
Liu worked as a professor at UNC. Authorities say in 2014, he went for a walk by himself when Troy Arrington, Jr. and Derick Davis II robbed and hit him in the back of his head with a rock. Liu later died at the hospital.
This week, Davis pleaded guilty to robbery and second degree murder in Orange County court. A judge sentenced him to serve up to 34 years in prison. Arrington is currently serving a life sentence for first degree murder after a jury convicted him in 2017. Gu believes justice is now served.
“It's a huge relief for us to know finally, we have a final closure,” she added.
Liu leaves behind a wife, child, and grandchildren, whom he never met. He was 59 years old. The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy released a statement saying:
After Dr. Feng Liu’s passing, faculty, staff, students and friends generously donated more than $50,000 to honor all the Dr. Feng Liu meant to the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. These donations were used to establish the Feng Liu Graduate Student Award Fund, which is given annually to an exemplary UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy graduate student in the Division of Molecular Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics. The award celebrates the life of Feng Liu, whose humility, enthusiasm, compassion, and intelligence contributed greatly to the success and collegial atmosphere of the School.