During those three months, he kept up appearances by pretending to be his wife on social media
A man in Shanghai has been sentenced to death after murdering his wife and hiding her body in a freezer in their home for the following three months while he assumed her identity on social media and in text messages with her family.
On October 18th, 2016, 30-year-old Zhu Xiaodong strangled his wife, Yang Liping, 30, to death over what was described in court as “trivial” domestic arguments.
Afterward, he wrapped Yang’s body up in a quilt and hid it inside of their freezer. There her body stayed for the next 105 days.
During this time, Zhu assumed his wife’s identity on WeChat, replying to text messages from her friends and parents who apparently didn’t suspect a thing.
Meanwhile, he used money from Yang’s bank accounts to take vacations and date other women, according to court documents.
Finally, on February 1st, Zhu was forced to turn himself in to police, knowing that he could no longer keep the charade going after Yang’s father had asked the couple over for a birthday dinner that night.
Yang’s family argued that Zhu’s murder of Yang was premeditated, noting how Zhu had purchased the freezer only two months before strangling her.
However, at his trial, Zhu claimed that the freezer was bought in order to store meat for his pet reptiles.
In the end, the Shanghai No 2 Intermediate People’s Court decided that Zhu’s crime was indeed heinous enough to warrant the death penalty.
Zhu will now have 10 days to appeal the sentencing.
Source: shanghai.ist, Alex Linder, August, 2018
Court sentences man to death for murdering wife
A Shanghai court sentenced on Thursday a man to death for murdering his wife.
Zhu Xiaodong was accused of murdering his wife and freezing her corpse. The Shanghai No.2 Intermediate People's Court found him guilty of intentional homicide.
Despite his guilty plea, the court said it didn't give Zhu a lighter sentence because he showed no remorse.
Zhu concealed his wife's body while leading a lavish lifestyle, using the victim's money and ID card to travel and going out with other women.
The Shanghai Observer said Zhu appealed the verdict on Thursday afternoon.
"We feel relieved by the verdict," the victim's father, Yang Ganlian, told reporters.
In October 2016, he strangled his wife Yang Liping over a dispute at their home and hid her body in a refrigerator, during which time he posed as his wife on social media and texted messages to her parents and friends.
Zhu surrendered to the police in February 2017 accompanied by his parents.
Zhu and Yang married in December 2015 in Shanghai.
The death sentence is in line with legal boundaries and guidelines, Yu Xun, a deputy professor at East China University of Political and Law's Criminal Justice School, told the Global Times on Thursday.
"Though China has imposed restrictions on the use of capital punishment for certain crimes, it never said the death penalty would be abandoned. The death penalty still applies to extremely severe offenses, such as Zhu's case," Yu said.
"Each death penalty handed out by the lower court will be carefully reviewed by the Supreme People's Court," Yu noted.
Source:
globaltimes.cn, Qi Xijia Source, August 23, 2018
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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
