A Chicago native studying in London has been convicted of murdering his intermittent girlfriend. Prosecutors revealed he stabbed and strangled her before contacting his father to arrange legal representation, only then notifying the authorities.

Twenty-six-year-old Joshua Michals had initiated a casual relationship with Zhe Wang, 31, shortly after enrolling at Goldsmiths University in 2023, according to the Metropolitan Police’s statement on Monday.

In March 2024, Michals placed a call to the police, reporting a “serious incident” at Wang’s residence, noting that he had already departed the scene. When officers arrived, they discovered Wang with two stab wounds on her face, and a post-mortem examination later confirmed she had endured prolonged neck compression.

Arrested that same night, Michals chose not to disclose any details regarding their relationship or the events that transpired.

The Metropolitan Police announced on Monday that Joshua Michals, 26, has been found guilty of Zhe Wang’s murder.

Investigators examining his phone found months of messages in which Wang repeatedly asked Michals to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases — a “growing source of tension” between them, police said. Michals later claimed he acted in self-defense during an argument about STDs.

An undated photo of Zhe Wang, 31, who was murdered in March 2024 while attending Goldsmiths University in London. (Metropolitan Police)

Prosecutors countered that Michals “flew into a rage” after meeting Wang at her home and killed her. They told the court that Michals called his father after the slaying, obtained details for a lawyer, and returned to his own home before contacting authorities nearly four hours later.

Police have said Michals and Wang began a casual relationship shortly after enrolling at Goldsmiths University in 2023. (Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images, File)

During Michals’ arrest, police said, officers found bloodstained clothes on his property. The DNA was later confirmed to match Wang.

“Michals carried out a brutal and savage attack on Zhe, who was described by her friends as a quiet and gentle woman enjoying her studies in London,” Detective Inspector Claire Guiver said. “We are pleased the jury has seen through his claims that he killed Zhe by accident when she tried to attack him with a knife.”