Man Who Strangled Wife, Mother-in-Law, and Stepson Sentenced to Death in Homicide Case; Appeals Rejected in Second Trial

In May 2024, a horrific mass murder took place in Sanchong District, New Taipei City, Taiwan. Zhang Hongyi (25) strangled his wife, mother-in-law, and stepson before fleeing after staying with the bodies for six days. After the killings, he stole over NT$580,000 using his mother-in-law's credit card. During a psychiatric evaluation, Zhang stated he 'had no regrets' and even declared he would kill his mother-in-law again, showing no remorse. He was prosecuted by the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office on charges including murder, intentional child homicide, forgery, fraud, and violation of personal data protection laws. The first trial, conducted under Taiwan's Citizen Judges Act, sentenced Zhang to death, ruling that his actions met the Constitutional Court's criteria for 'most severe criminal circumstances' as defined in Constitutional Judgment No. 8 of 2024. This case marked the first death sentence delivered under the Citizen Judges Act. The second trial upheld the original verdict, rejecting Zhang's appeal and maintaining the death penalty, though further appeals remain possible. The case came to light when Zhang's sister-in-law, unable to contact her mother, reported her missing and discovered the bodies of her mother, sister, and nephew. The victims had been dead for over seven days, with bodies severely decomposed and infested with maggots. Zhang, suspecting his wife of infidelity, first strangled her to death. The following morning, he entered the adjacent room and killed his mother-in-law and stepson using the same method. After the murders, he looted the victims' belongings, withdrew NT$150,000 from his mother-in-law's bank account, and used both victims' credit cards to obtain cash for online gambling, rent, and other expenses. He also spent NT$1,899 using his mother-in-law's card to upgrade his membership on the dating site 'Bao Wo Bao Bei Jiao You Wang' to VIP status. On the fifth day, he hired cleaners to remove dead fish from an aquarium, then fled to Taichung the next day, checking into a hotel under his father's name and attempting to open a bank account under his mother-in-law's identity. The prosecution charged Zhang under the Criminal Code for murder, intentional child homicide, forgery of private documents, fraud, and personal data violations. The first trial concluded that Zhang acted with direct, premeditated intent, employing extremely cruel methods. His lack of remorse, as confirmed during psychiatric evaluation, reinforced the court's decision to impose the death penalty. The second trial affirmed the first ruling, maintaining the death sentence.