Elderly man gets life for ax murder

ALHAMBRA - An 87-year-old man who killed his wife with an ax and attacked his stepson was sentenced last Friday to 26 years to life in state prison.James Che Ming Lu was convicted on July 27 of the first-degree murder of Michelle Lu, 55, and the attempted murder of her 32-year-old son. On July 26, 2009, James Lu bludgeoned his wife to death - striking her repeatedly over the head - with an ax as she lay in bed. The couple had been married nine years. Following the fatal attack, Lu walked down the hall and tried to use the ax on his stepson. The younger man fought off his attacker. Evidence presented at trial revealed that James Lu harbored feelings of anger because he believed he spent too much money on his wife. Prosecutors also said he was "incensed" that his wife spent too much time away from home at work. The couple and her adult son lived in an unincorporated area between Pasadena and Arcadia.

********** Published: October 13, 2011 - Volume 10 - Issue 26