A Los Angeles County man faces a potential life sentence after he was charged with murdering his wife and then setting fire to their home earlier this year to cover up the crime.
Yoon Lai, 62, was officially charged Tuesday with felony counts of murder and arson for the Jan. 6 blaze.
Lai is accused of killing his wife, 56-year-old Dr. Irene Gaw-Lai, and then attempting to conceal the nature of her death by lighting their San Marino home on fire.
Gaw-Lai, who also used the surname Gonzalo, was a respected endocrinologist who, according to the Los Angeles Times, had filed for divorce from her husband months earlier. She had reportedly attempted to file for divorce more than 20 years earlier as well.
Her body was found in a back room of the fire-damaged home on the 2000 block of Lorain Road. She had apparently suffered traumatic injuries to her upper body.
After a monthslong investigation, Yoon Lai was identified as a person of interest and later arrested in connection with his wife’s death.
On Tuesday, he appeared in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom to be formally charged with her murder.
“The violent death of Dr. Irene Gaw-Lai is heartbreaking and deeply disturbing,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a news release. “She was not only a respected physician and business leader, but a mother who deserved safety and dignity in her own home.”
Yoon Lai’s bail has been set at $2.35 million. He is due back in court on Aug. 12.
The investigation into Gonzalo’s death is ongoing, and anyone with information is urged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department or D.A.’s Office.
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