Woman Asks Judge To Declare Missing Michigan Student Dead

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - Court documents say the wife of a University of Michigan doctoral student who went missing after a plane crash has asked a judge to declare him dead.

The Detroit Free Press reports that Surong Ruan filed a petition in Washtenaw County saying she doesn't believe her husband, Xin Rong, is alive.

Rong rented an airplane in March from the Ann Arbor Airport. Investigators say the plane crashed in Canada, though Rong wasn't with the plane wreckage and there weren't any footprints in the snow. The plane also had no fuel.

Authorities in Ontario believe Rong jumped from the plane during the flight. The doctoral student from China also was a certified pilot.

Ruan says she's seeking the death declaration as she cares for Rong's property and deals with insurance companies.

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