New Taipei Sanchong Triple Murder Case: Second Trial Upholds Death Penalty for Intentional Killing of Wife, Son, and Mother-in-Law

(Central News Agency Reporter Liu Shih-yi, Taipei, July 9) In the Sanchong, New Taipei ancestral triple murder case, the defendant Zhang was sentenced to death in the first instance by a national jury court for killing his wife, mother-in-law, and stepson. The second instance today determined that he intentionally and consecutively killed the three while they were asleep, with extremely cruel methods. The original verdict was deemed correct, and the death penalty was upheld. An appeal is possible.

Wen Chia-chien, spokesperson for the Criminal Division of the Taiwan High Court, stated that the defendant Zhang, in the Sanchong triple murder case, appealed the district court's first-instance judgment. The High Court announced its verdict today, rejecting the appeal.

Wen Chia-chien said that the defendant Zhang's sequential killings of his wife, mother-in-law, and stepson were premeditated and intentional. Furthermore, the mother-in-law was 69 years old, and the stepson was only 3 years old. The defendant Zhang killed the victims while they were asleep, employing extremely cruel methods, which constitutes the most severe criminal circumstances as defined by the Constitutional Court's ruling.

Wen Chia-chien stated that the collegiate bench believes the original national jury court had considered all sentencing factors under the Criminal Code and found no violation of the principles of proportionality or the equivalence of crime and punishment. Therefore, the original sentence of death for the defendant Zhang should be upheld. The defendant Zhang's appeal is without merit and is hereby dismissed. A further appeal is possible.

The case originated when the defendant Zhang, then 24 years old, was accused of causing the suffocation deaths of his sleeping wife, Ms. Chen, his 69-year-old mother-in-law, Ms. Liu, and his 3-year-old stepson at his residence in Sanchong District, New Taipei City, between the evening of April 30, 2024, and the early morning of May 2, 2024. He then allegedly stole his mother-in-law's belongings and fled to Taichung to hide. Police arrested Zhang on May 12, 2024. Prosecutors indicted him on charges including murder. The New Taipei District Court's national jury court sentenced Zhang to death in the first instance.

Following the appeal, the second instance was heard by the Taiwan High Court. During the second instance proceedings, Zhang pleaded guilty and stated that he was appealing only the sentence. The victims' family expressed that the death penalty was the only acceptable verdict. (Editor: Kuan Chung-wei) 1150709

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