MA woman accused of killing unborn child, daughter (AP)

[Yahoo!_news]

AP - A pregnant Massachusetts woman accused of killing her 9-year-old daughter and stabbing herself in the stomach to kill her unborn child could be arraigned in her hospital bed on Friday, a district attorney said.

QUINCY, Mass. – Fang Chi-Xue's neighbors in her modest Quincy neighborhood didn't know her well. Once in a while, they would see her outside with her children. She would wave and say hello politely in Mandarin. On Friday, Chi-Xue lay in a hospital bed after she allegedly killed her 9-year-old daughter, tried to strangle her 14-year-old daughter and stabbed herself in the abdomen, killing her unborn fetus.

Chi-Xue, 38, who was 7 1/2 months pregnant, was charged with one count of first-degree murder and assault with intent to murder.

Authorities were awaiting the results of an autopsy before deciding whether she would be charged with a second count of murder in the death of her unborn baby.

David Traub, a spokesman for Norfolk District Attorney William Keating, said the timeline of the violence was still uncertain, but said Chi-Xue's husband came home to find the 9-year-old dead after receiving a call at work from his 14-year-old daughter. He called 911, and police arrived about 10:30 p.m. Thursday.

Traub said the 14-year-old girl suffered minor injuries when her mother tried to strangle her. The 9-year-old girl, Wen Xue, suffered stab wounds to her wrists, and authorities were also investigating whether she was poisoned "based on some indications at the scene," Traub said.

Traub said the violence appeared to have been sparked by an argument Chi-Xue had earlier in the evening with her husband.

Chi-Xue was treated at Boston Medical Center for self-inflicted stab sounds to the arms and abdomen. A judge ordered her to undergo a 20-day competency evaluation. She will be held without bail at Worcester State Hospital during that period. She will not be arraigned on the charges until after the evaluation.

Randy Gioia, her lawyer, did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment Friday.

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