Man charged with murdering Syracuse University student to appear in court

One of the men charged with murdering Syracuse University student Xiaopeng “Pippen” Yuan will appear in court Thursday in relation to a tampering charge.

Cameron Isaac, 23, has a pretrial hearing at 10 a.m. in Syracuse City Court for a charge of tampering with a witness in the fourth degree, which he received after asking a witness not to testify against him in the murder trial. Tampering with a witness in the fourth degree is a Class A misdemeanor.

Isaac will also report for a drug paraphernalia charge at the same time on Thursday. Neither of his lawyers — Charles Keller and Lance Cimino — returned phone calls Wednesday.

Isaac and Ninimbe Mitchell, 20, were each arrested two months ago and charged with murder in the second degree, robbery in the first degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree in relation to Yuan’s death.

Yuan, 23, of China, was found dead behind the Springfield Garden Apartments located on Caton Drive on Sept. 30. Authorities have said the two suspects arranged to meet him at the apartments for what was believed to be a drug transaction. Isaac and Mitchell are accused of robbing Yuan before shooting and killing him.

Isaac and Mitchell have been held since Nov. 17 in the Onondaga County Justice Center without bail.