Thallium poisoning case of Zhu Ling

Zhu Ling (Chinese: 朱令; pinyin: Zhū Lìng, 24 April 1973 – 22 December 2023) was the victim of an unsolved thallium poisoning case in Beijing, China. In late 1994, while studying chemistry at Tsinghua University, she was poisoned and, in 1995, fell into a coma. Her symptoms were posted online via a Usenet newsgroup by her friend Bei Zhicheng from Peking University, and were subsequently reviewed and diagnosed by physicians around the world. Although Zhu’s life was saved, she suffered severe neurological damage and permanent physical impairment. The investigation was closed in 1998 due to a lack of evidence and went cold until renewed public attention in the 2010s, becoming one of the most high-profile cases in China and giving rise to widespread speculation and conspiracy theories.