Charges dismissed against California woman accused of poisoning radiologist

Authorities have dismissed charges against a California woman accused of poisoning her radiologist husband with drain cleaner. 

A grand jury previously indicted dermatologist Yue “Emily” Yu, MD, PhD, in 2023, charging her with four felony counts. This after her now-ex-husband, radiologist Jack Chen, MD, set up a camera in his family’s home, allegedly catching Yu pouring Draino into his beverage on three separate occasions. 

However, a California judge dismissed the charges on May 29, ruling the Orange County District Attorney’s Office withheld evidence from the grand jury that indicted her, CNN reported Tuesday. Representatives for Yu contend that jurors likely would not have found probable cause to charge the dermatologist, if they had heard all relevant facts.

“We are proud to have stood by her through this, and we are grateful to Judge [Patrick] Donahue for his thorough and principled analysis,” attorney Scott Simmons said in a statement. “Dr. Yu has maintained her innocence from the beginning. Now she can begin to reclaim what matters most—her family, her patients, and her life.”

Meanwhile, authorities said they plan to continue pursuing the matter, disputing the basis of the ruling. This is the second time the charges have been dismissed. 

“We believe in the strength of the evidence in this case, and in the professional conduct of our prosecutors,” Kimberly Edds, director of public affairs for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, said in a statement. “We will continue to litigate this in a court of law as we pursue justice for an individual who was being methodically poisoned by his wife, a licensed medical professional whose intent was to inflict pain on him.”

More on the original accusations

Chen, MD, began noticing a strange taste in his beverage in April 2022. When the problem persisted, he set up a camera in the family’s Irvine, California, kitchen. On three separate occasions in July 2022, the device purportedly captured Yu pouring a substance out of a bottle of drain cleaner and into the drink while it rested on the counter. Chen purportedly suffered from stomach ulcers after the alleged poisoning, according to local authorities.

“Our homes should be where we feel the safest,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in 2023. “Yet, a licensed medical professional capitalized on her husband’s daily rituals to torment her husband by systematically plying his tea with a Drano-like substance intending to cause him pain and suffering.”

Chen collected samples of his beverage and shared them with the Irvine Police Department. The FBI later confirmed the substance contained such household chemicals. Authorities arrested Yu in August 2022 under suspicion of poisoning but released her when she posted the $30,000 bond. 

Defense attorneys for Yu have claimed she was not trying to poison her husband. Instead, she was pouring Drano as a trap to kill ants in the kitchen. Her radiologist husband had allegedly suggested this method, with the couple in the middle of a bitter divorce at the time. Previous accounts had identified the drink as tea, but CNN’s latest reporting labeled it as lemonade.  

"It's our opinion that the medical evidence is inconsistent with his claim that he consumed the Drano," Simmons, said in 2023. "As you know, Drano is a caustic substance. You would have severe injuries from consuming the Drano.”

Chen, who was 53 at the time of the incident, has since finalized their divorce following 10 years of marriage, the New York Post reported. He also has been granted full custody of their two children. Chen has previously practiced interventional and diagnostic radiology in Tarzana, California, and was affiliated with multiple medical centers in the area, according to Doximity.

Meanwhile, Yu, whose license to practice medicine remains active in California, continues to maintain her innocence. Defense attorneys contend Chen fabricated the poisoning to gain leverage in their divorce and custody battle over the couple’s kids. Simmons charged that Chen never went to the emergency room for his alleged injuries. He also scolded the prosecution for omitting evidence from an FBI chemist, showing the samples were “drinkable,” according to CNN. 

“I have spent four years watching a life I worked hard to build come apart. These years have taken an immense toll—on me, on the people I love, and on the work I have devoted my life to,” Yu said in a statement. “But I am very grateful that the court looked closely and recognized that the way these charges came about was deeply flawed. The court’s ruling allows me to begin moving forward.”