July 18, 2022

DETAILED TIMELINE IN THE ZHIFAN DONG TRAGEDY

Interactions between Zhifan Dong, Haoyu Wang, Salt Lake City Police Department (SLCPD), Salt Lake County
District Attorney and University of Utah Police Department (UUPD) and Housing & Residential Education
staff and other university offices

This timeline includes interactions between Zhifan Dong and Haoyu Wang in the weeks leading up to Dong’s alleged murder. The timeline
and actions reveal that university staff, police, and international partners took extensive efforts to support Dong and Wang, including more
than 25 actions over a 29-day period (from January 12, 2022, to February 11, 2022) to meet, text, email, and video conference with the
students and friends; review access logs; speak with family; file missing person reports; canvass local hotels; and provide aid.

For all publicly available documentation related to the timeline, click here.

DAT E S T UD E N TS S LCPD/DA UNI VERSI T Y OF UTA H

DATE ZHIFAN DONG SALT LAKE CITY HOUSING AND UTAH GLOBAL/ UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
AND POLICE DEPARTMENT RESIDENTIAL INTERNATIONAL POLICE
HAOYU WANG (SLCPD)/SL COUNTY EDUCATION (HRE) STUDENT & SCHOLAR DEPARTMENT (UUPD)
DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S SERVICES (ISSS)/
OFFICE BEHAVIORAL
INTERVENTION TEAM
(BIT)

JULY 2021 New housing staff

complete on-boarding
training, which includes
emergency response
and mandatory
reporting guidelines for
certain crimes.

Staff also complete

Office of Equal
Opportunity (OEO)
course addressing
discrimination and
sexual misconduct.

FALL 2021 Zhifan Dong and Haoyu

Wang are admitted to
the University of Utah
through the Utah Global
program and move into
on-campus housing,
and begin dating.

DEC. 16, 2021 Housing staff complete

mandatory Domestic
Violence 101 training
from the Utah Domestic
Violence Coalition.

Source: University of Utah

*Information will be updated as additional details become available.
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 July 18, 2022

DAT E S T UD E N TS S LCPD/DA UNI VERSI T Y OF UTA H

DATE ZHIFAN DONG SALT LAKE CITY HOUSING AND UTAH GLOBAL/ UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
AND POLICE DEPARTMENT RESIDENTIAL INTERNATIONAL POLICE
HAOYU WANG (SLCPD)/SL COUNTY EDUCATION (HRE) STUDENT & SCHOLAR DEPARTMENT (UUPD)
DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S SERVICES (ISSS)/
OFFICE BEHAVIORAL
INTERVENTION TEAM
(BIT)

JAN. 12 While they are staying SLCPD arrest Wang and

at a downtown Salt Lake book him into the Salt
City motel, Dong reports Lake County Jail. He is
an act of intimate released within hours
partner violence against and Dong is issued a
her to the front desk. temporary protective
SLCPD responds. order. No notice is given
to the U of protective
order. (Currently, there is
no process or regulation
requiring local police
departments to notify
colleges or universities of
arrests or protective orders
involving students.)

JAN. 13 Dong calls police again

“due to Wang’s behavior,”
according to a court
filing.

JAN. 14 Dong reports Wang’s Housing staff ask MH1

suicidal ideation to (Mental Health First
housing staff and asks Responders, an after-
that they conduct a hours housing mental
wellness check. This health program) for help
is the first notice the conducting a wellness
university received check, but MH1 is
about the Jan. 12 unable to make contact
altercation. with Wang. 

After speaking to Dong

at length, housing staff
document the inter-
actions in the student
conduct software.

Housing staff check

Wang’s access card
swipes and determine
the last time he swiped
into a housing building
was Jan. 11.

Source: University of Utah

*Information will be updated as additional details become available.
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 July 18, 2022

DAT E S T UD E N TS S LCPD/DA UNI VERSI T Y OF UTA H

DATE ZHIFAN DONG SALT LAKE CITY HOUSING AND UTAH GLOBAL/ UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
AND POLICE DEPARTMENT RESIDENTIAL INTERNATIONAL POLICE
HAOYU WANG (SLCPD)/SL COUNTY EDUCATION (HRE) STUDENT & SCHOLAR DEPARTMENT (UUPD)
DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S SERVICES (ISSS)/
OFFICE BEHAVIORAL
INTERVENTION TEAM
(BIT)

JAN. 18 Housing staff follow

up on the unsuccessful
wellness check with
emails to both students.
Neither responds.

JAN. 19 Housing staff call and

leave a message for
Dong. She does not
respond. 

Housing staff attempt

to call Wang, but have a
non-working cellphone
number.

JAN. 24 Housing staff visit both

students’ rooms in their
residence hall. Dong is
not in her room. Wang
is in his room; staff offer
assistance.

Wang tells housing staff

he has a counseling cen-
ter appointment later
that day and does not
need further assistance.

JAN. 26 All housing staff

complete mandatory
OEO Sexual Misconduct/
Title IX training.

Source: University of Utah

*Information will be updated as additional details become available.
3
 July 18, 2022

DAT E S T UD E N TS S LCPD/DA UNI VERSI T Y OF UTA H

DATE ZHIFAN DONG SALT LAKE CITY HOUSING AND UTAH GLOBAL/ UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
AND POLICE DEPARTMENT RESIDENTIAL INTERNATIONAL POLICE
HAOYU WANG (SLCPD)/SL COUNTY EDUCATION (HRE) STUDENT & SCHOLAR DEPARTMENT (UUPD)
DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S SERVICES (ISSS)/
OFFICE BEHAVIORAL
INTERVENTION TEAM
(BIT)

JAN. 31 Housing staff try again

to conduct a wellness
check for Dong. She is
not in her room, but
her suitemate is, who
reports she hasn’t seen
Dong in a while.

In another check of
Wang’s access card
swipes, housing staff
note he has not swiped
into a housing building
in seven days.

Housing staff call another

Haoyu Wang enrolled
in Utah Global who tells
them he is fine. Housing
staff do not know there
are two students with
the same name and they
have spoken to the wrong
student; as a result, he is
not reported missing.

JAN. 31-FEB. 4 One of Dong’s

instructors contacts
Utah Global to express
concern that she hasn’t
been in class.

Utah Global messages

Dong through internal
messaging and WeChat.
Dong accepts the
invitation, but does not
respond to questions.

Source: University of Utah

*Information will be updated as additional details become available.
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 July 18, 2022

DAT E S T UD E N TS S LCPD/DA UNI VERSI T Y OF UTA H

DATE ZHIFAN DONG SALT LAKE CITY HOUSING AND UTAH GLOBAL/ UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
AND POLICE DEPARTMENT RESIDENTIAL INTERNATIONAL POLICE
HAOYU WANG (SLCPD)/SL COUNTY EDUCATION (HRE) STUDENT & SCHOLAR DEPARTMENT (UUPD)
DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S SERVICES (ISSS)/
OFFICE BEHAVIORAL
INTERVENTION TEAM
(BIT)

FEB. 6 Dong’s roommate

reports concern about
her absence to the
residence hall front desk.
Housing staff text Dong.

Dong responds to
housing staff texts with,
“I’m OK.” She says she
is handling a family
situation. She says she
does not need support.

FEB. 7 Utah Global asks

housing staff to conduct
a wellness check for
Dong.

Housing staff determine

Dong has not swiped
her access card since
Jan. 28. 

Source: University of Utah

*Information will be updated as additional details become available.
5

DAT E S T UD E N TS
DATE ZHIFAN DONG
AND POLICE DEPARTMENT
HAOYU WANG (SLCPD)/SL COUNTY
DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S
FEB. 8
Wang tells housing staff
that he is fine; housing
reports to UUPD.  declines to say where
Dong video calls with
UUPD officers and gives
them a virtual tour of
her off campus hotel
room, showing no one
else is in the room. She
declines to say where
she is or have in-person
contact with detectives.
Dong texts housing
staff to tell them she
is resting and she will
be back at school in a
few days. She mentions
speaking to UUPD and
says she is safe.
Dong tells UUPD crime
victim advocate she wants
to handle her protective
order on her own.
Source: University of Utah
*Information will be updated as additional details become available.
S LCPD/DA UNI VERSI T Y OF UTA H
SALT LAKE CITY HOUSING AND
RESIDENTIAL
EDUCATION (HRE)
OFFICE
Housing staff meet
with Dong’s suitemate,
who requests a new
suitemate. She says she
has not seen Dong in
over a week.
Despite having had
contact with Dong on
Feb. 6, housing staff file
a missing persons report
following a secondary
review of her card access
records.
After reviewing the case,
a housing administrator
initiates a BIT meeting.  call with Dong who
Housing notifies UUPD
that they have spoken
with Wang, who says he
is fine.
Housing staff request
Utah Global assistance
setting up a phone call
with Dong’s parents.
6
July 18, 2022
UTAH GLOBAL/ UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
INTERNATIONAL POLICE
STUDENT & SCHOLAR DEPARTMENT (UUPD)
SERVICES (ISSS)/
BEHAVIORAL
INTERVENTION TEAM
(BIT)
University BIT team The missing person
leader reaches out to reports trigger UUPD to
Dong but does not start an investigation.
connect. Leader files a This is the first time
missing person report UUPD learn of the Jan.
with UUPD. 12 intimate partner
violence case and
BIT leader attempts to Dong’s protective order.
reach Dong, but ends up
speaking to her room- UUPD starts an
mate. BIT leader also investigation, reaching
files a missing person out to ISSS, Utah Global,
report with UUPD and and Dong’s roommate.
contacts ISSS. UUPD also checks her
card swipes.
UUPD officers video
gives a virtual tour of
her off-campus hotel
room, showing no one
else is in the room. She
she is or have in-person
contact with detectives.
Based on pings from
Dong’s cell phone, UUPD
begin checking down-
town hotels within a
one-mile radius—a total
at least seven in all—
showing photos of both
students to hotel staff.
No hotel staff identify the
couple.
UUPD enters Dong into
the National Crime In-
formation Center (NCIC)
database.
UUPD crime victim
advocate texts with Dong
and asks if she would like
help with the protective
order.
 July 18, 2022

DAT E S T UD E N TS S LCPD/DA UNI VERSI T Y OF UTA H

DATE ZHIFAN DONG SALT LAKE CITY HOUSING AND UTAH GLOBAL/ UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
AND POLICE DEPARTMENT RESIDENTIAL INTERNATIONAL POLICE
HAOYU WANG (SLCPD)/SL COUNTY EDUCATION (HRE) STUDENT & SCHOLAR DEPARTMENT (UUPD)
DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S SERVICES (ISSS)/
OFFICE BEHAVIORAL
INTERVENTION TEAM
(BIT)

FEB. 9 Dong texts with a Housing administrator

housing administrator, texts with Dong, who
declines an in-person declines an in-person
meeting that day, but meeting that day, but
arranges to meet on arranges to meet at 1
campus at 1 p.m. on p.m. Feb. 11.
Feb. 11. 
Housing administrator
emails Wang asking
that he respond. Later
that day, the housing
administrator receives
a response from Wang
Dong’s mother tells stating that his cell University representa-
university staff she spoke phone bill was not paid tives speak with Dong’s UUPD calls both Dong
with her daughter by and he will call back on mother, telling her they and Wang, but is unable
video chat. Dong told her Thursday at 11 a.m. are worried about her to connect with either.
mother she was fine, just safety because she has
sad because of breaking not been seen in person
up with Wang. Dong’s for about 10 days and
mother confirms her she won’t tell anyone
daughter will return to where she is. Dong’s
campus on Friday. mother says she spoke
with her daughter by
Wang emails a housing video chat and she said
administrator and she was fine, just sad
arranges to speak by because of the breakup
phone at 11 a.m. on with Wang. Dong’s
Feb. 10. mother confirms her
daughter will return to
campus on Friday.

Source: University of Utah

*Information will be updated as additional details become available.
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 July 18, 2022

DAT E S T UD E N TS S LCPD/DA UNI VERSI T Y OF UTA H

DATE ZHIFAN DONG SALT LAKE CITY HOUSING AND UTAH GLOBAL/ UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
AND POLICE DEPARTMENT RESIDENTIAL INTERNATIONAL POLICE
HAOYU WANG (SLCPD)/SL COUNTY EDUCATION (HRE) STUDENT & SCHOLAR DEPARTMENT (UUPD)
DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S SERVICES (ISSS)/
OFFICE BEHAVIORAL
INTERVENTION TEAM
(BIT)

FEB. 10 Housing administrator

speaks to Wang by phone
to offer support, inform
him of the jail time release
protective order, and
remind him he will fall
out of housing eligibility
if he does not increase his
number of course hours.
The administrator writes a
follow-up email with the
same information.

Wang speaks to housing

administrator by phone
about the protective UUPD calls both Dong
order. and Wang, but gets no
response.
In response to the
supervisor’s email, Wang
calls back. Wang says
he is upset about the
arrest and his reputation
as a “domestic abuser.”
He says he has told his
parents everything.
At the end of the call,
he asks the housing
administrator to stop
calling. He says he will
not be coming back to
campus.

Source: University of Utah

*Information will be updated as additional details become available.
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 July 18, 2022

DAT E S T UD E N TS S LCPD/DA UNI VERSI T Y OF UTA H

DATE ZHIFAN DONG SALT LAKE CITY HOUSING AND UTAH GLOBAL/ UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
AND POLICE DEPARTMENT RESIDENTIAL INTERNATIONAL POLICE
HAOYU WANG (SLCPD)/SL COUNTY EDUCATION (HRE) STUDENT & SCHOLAR DEPARTMENT (UUPD)
DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S SERVICES (ISSS)/
OFFICE BEHAVIORAL
INTERVENTION TEAM
(BIT)

FEB. 11 At 3:51 a.m., Wang sends

an email to a housing
administrator, saying he
and Dong are still in love
and have decided to die
by suicide together. 

Housing administrator
sees Wang’s email at
4:55 a.m. and calls UUPD pings both
UUPD. students’ phones from 5
to 6:30 a.m., and locate
them at the Quality Inn,
616 S. 200 West. Detec-
tives notify SLCPD.

UUPD and SLCPD meet at

SLCPD joins UUPD at the Quality Inn and enter
Quality Inn to conduct a the students’ motel room.
wellness check.
Wang is taken into
Wang is taken custody. After adminis-
into custody. After tering first aid to Dong,
administering first aid to officers determine she
Dong, officers determine is deceased. Paramedics
she is deceased. check Wang before he is
Paramedics check Wang booked into the Salt Lake
before he is booked into Metro Jail.
the Salt Lake Metro Jail.

Source: University of Utah

*Information will be updated as additional details become available.
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