Bride sexually assaulted, killed and stuffed into wall days before wedding

Annie Le was a 24-year-old student at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, who was murdered by a lab technician just days before her wedding in 2009

Annie Le was a young woman with a brilliant future stretching before her.

She was set to complete a doctorate from a prestigious Ivy League university and was mere days from walking down the aisle when the 24 year old disappeared without a trace.

Heartbreakingly, on what should have been her wedding day, she was discovered dead, her battered body found crushed and stuffed into a wall.

Annie had vanished from her laboratory at Yale in New Haven, Connecticut in 2009, and whilst her murderer was eventually caught – his motives for abducting, slaying and then disposing of her remains in such a horrific manner have never been uncovered and remain an enigma to this day.

Born in San Jose, California in 1985, the brilliant Vietnamese pupil was valedictorian at secondary school and crowned “most likely to be the next Einstein” according to The New York Times, reports the Mirror.

Securing a staggering $160,000 in scholarships, she then completed her studies at University of Rochester in Upstate New York, earning a degree in cell developmental biology.

It was here she met and fell for her doomed fiancé, Jonathan Widawsky. On the morning she vanished, Annie departed for her laboratory, with CCTV capturing her entering the premises at 10am on September 8.

This location would tragically become her final resting place. When she failed to come home that evening, one of her five housemates sounded the alert, according to the Hartford Courant.

Her notebook, handbag and credit card were all discovered still within the building. Heartbreakingly, months prior, Annie had written an article about campus safety titled ” Crime and Safety in New Haven” for Yale Medical School’s B Magazine.

Initially, authorities speculated that Annie might have had second thoughts about her impending nuptials. However, they were left scratching their heads when CCTV failed to show her exiting the building, which required ID cards for both entry and exit.

Then, on September 12, blood-stained clothing was discovered in the ceiling of the lab on Street, turning the building into a crime scene. The following day, a smell “similar to that of a decomposing body” was detected by police, as reported by Yale Daily News.

Her body was tragically discovered at 5pm on what should have been her wedding day, September 13, 2009, crammed upside down into a wall.

Yale President Richard stated in a message to students: “It is my tragic duty to report that the body of a female was found in the basement of the Amistad Building late this afternoon. The identity of the woman has not yet been established. Law enforcement officials remain on the scene; this is an active investigation, and we hope it is resolved quickly.

“[The killer] just crushed her in there. She was like mush – she was so smashed up you couldn’t recognise her,” an anonymous police source revealed to The New York Post.

Annie’s cause of death was confirmed as “traumatic asphyxiation by neck compression,” according to CBS News. The post-mortem examination revealed she had suffered a broken jaw and collar bone injuries whilst still alive, and it was discovered she had been sexually assaulted.

The perpetrator was identified as Ray Clark, a lab technician notorious for being tough on students who left the lab in a mess. One source told ABC News that Clark had emailed Annie to reprimand her for leaving dirty mice cages behind.

A DNA sample led to Clark’s arrest on 17 September. Clark eventually admitted to murder and was handed a 44-year prison sentence.

He also entered an Alford plea for one count of attempted sexual assault, meaning he doesn’t confess to the charge but acknowledges there’s sufficient evidence for a conviction. Clark will likely be nearly 70 years old at the time of his release.

He confessed to the New Haven Register: “I alone am responsible for the death of Annie Le and causing tremendous pain to all who loved and cared about Annie.”