A shocking case against a California dermatologist accused of poisoning her husband with Drano has been dismissed nearly four years after her arrest.
Yue “Emily” Yu had been facing serious charges after authorities accused her of pouring drain cleaner into her husband Jack Chen’s tea in 2022.
Yu was indicted on three felony counts of poisoning and one felony count of domestic battery after prosecutors claimed the alleged poisonings caused Chen to suffer stomach ulcers, according to a 2023 news release.
But on Friday, May 29, an Orange County judge dismissed the indictment after finding that the Orange County District Attorney’s Office had withheld evidence that may have helped clear Yu, according to reports from NBC 4, CBS News and the New York Post.
Yu’s attorneys said she was “relieved” after the indictment was dismissed for the second time.
The District Attorney’s Office had previously moved to dismiss the case in January so prosecutors could add an attempted poisoning charge. Officials also cited the fact that a key witness was unable to appear on the first day of trial.
Yu’s defense attorney, Scott Simmons, told NBC 4 that his client wants to move forward after years of legal turmoil.
“She really wants to move on with her life,” Simmons said. “She hasn’t practiced medicine this whole time. It’s really a bummer for her, and she hasn’t been able to see her children.”
Simmons also praised the court for taking a closer look at how the indictment was handled.
“We are grateful that the court closely examined the proceedings that produced this charge and recognized that the process by which the indictment was obtained was fundamentally flawed,” he said. “Emily Yu should not have been indicted. From the outset, Emily has maintained that she did nothing wrong and has placed her faith in a fair and impartial legal process.”
Despite the dismissal, prosecutors say the case is not over.
Kimberly Edds, a spokeswoman for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, said prosecutors plan to refile the case.
“We believe in the strength of the evidence in this case, and in the professional conduct of our prosecutors,” Edds said.
She added that the office will “continue to litigate this in a court of law” as prosecutors pursue justice for a man they allege was “methodically poisoned by his wife, a licensed medical professional whose intent was to inflict pain on him.”
The case first drew national attention after the Irvine Police Department said Chen installed cameras inside the family home after noticing his drink tasted different and after feeling sick for weeks.
Police said Chen captured video that appeared to show Yu allegedly poisoning his tea on multiple occasions. He later turned that video over to investigators.
Chen was expected to recover from what authorities described as “significant internal injuries.”
He also filed for divorce and requested full custody of the couple’s two children. In court filings, Chen accused Yu of “yelling, insulting, verbally abusing, hitting, pushing, pulling and being emotionally abusive.”
Yu’s attorney denied those allegations at the time, telling ABC News that the defense was concerned the claims were being used by Chen to gain an advantage in the divorce case.
