A Naperville man was sentenced to 38 years in prison for kicking his wife to death, according to a news release from the DuPage County State’s Attorney.
62-year-old Alan Wang was convicted of the crime on October 8, 2025, after a four-day-long bench trial, in which he was declared guilty of first-degree murder.
Police called to couple’s residence after report of woman not breathing
The incident took place six years ago. Police responded to a call shortly before 5 p.m. on March 8, 2020, about a woman at the couple’s residence on Mill Street who was not breathing. When first responders arrived, they found Wang’s wife, Hongyan Yang, in distress. She was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead at 5:54 p.m.
Investigators later discovered that on the night of March 7, Wang was in the bedroom with his wife when he discovered texts from another man on her phone. He kicked Yang multiple times. The next day, a family relative discovered Yang wasn’t breathing and called 911.
Wang initially released with monitoring, then taken back into custody
Wang appeared in bond court on the matter on March 11, 2020, and was able to pay the necessary 10% of his $850,000 bond, after being initially charged with one count of aggravated domestic battery. The court released him, but with an electronic monitoring device.
After an autopsy was conducted, which found Yang had died of blunt force trauma due to assault, Wang’s bond went up to $1,250,000, and he was taken back into custody, remaining at the DuPage County Jail since July of 2020.
Work needed to prevent domestic violence, DuPage state’s attorney says
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin noted that the case was a reminder of the prevalence of domestic violence within society.
“Regrettably, there is still a significant amount of work to be done to prevent domestic violence, and in extreme cases, tragedies such as what we saw with the death of Hongyan Yang,” Berlin said in the press release. “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Violent Death Reporting System, in 2023, the most recent year statistics are available, 1,373 women lost their lives at the hands of a spouse or intimate partner. Tragically, at just thirty-five-years-old, with a full life ahead of her, Hongyan joins those whose lives were lost to domestic violence. I wish her surviving family and friends strength as they continue their lives with just memories of Hongyan to see them through.”
Wang will not be eligible for parole until he’s served 100% of his sentence.
Photo courtesy: Handout, DuPage County State’s Attorney’s office
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