Kaohsiung Serial Dismemberment Case: Judges Unanimously Sentence Death Penalty, Citing Victims' Disappearance and Murder

(CNA reporter Hong Xuegao, Kaohsiung, 5th) In the Kaohsiung serial dismemberment case, the Kaohsiung District Court's Citizen Judges Tribunal today sentenced defendant Zhang Jiezong to three death penalties for murder and other crimes. The judges determined that the three female victims went missing after entering Zhang's home, and bloodstains were found at his residence and on the murder weapon, leading to a unanimous decision for the death penalty.

The Kaohsiung serial murder case has concluded. The Kaohsiung District Court announced the verdict at 4 p.m. today in the Citizen Judges Tribunal. For the murder of his sister-in-law, surnamed Zhang Huang, Zhang Jiezong was sentenced to death, with deprivation of civil rights for life, 3 years and 6 months for damaging and abandoning a corpse, 1 year and 4 months for theft, and 1 year and 4 months for illegally obtaining property via automatic payment equipment.

For the murder of the second victim, surnamed Zhang, he was sentenced to death, with deprivation of civil rights for life, 4 years for damaging and abandoning a corpse, and 1 year and 10 months for theft. For the third victim, surnamed Zhao Lin, he was sentenced to death, with deprivation of civil rights for life, and 4 years and 4 months for damaging and abandoning a corpse. The combined sentence is the death penalty, with deprivation of civil rights for life. The case can be appealed.

Li Yuxin, Chief Administrative Judge of the Kaohsiung District Court, explained that the professional judges and citizen judges unanimously found Zhang Jiezong guilty of three counts of murder. The main evidence was that after the three victims entered Zhang's home, there was no evidence they left, and they were reported missing shortly after, with their body parts later found.

Additionally, large amounts of bloodstains and DNA from the three victims were found in Zhang's home, including on the refrigerator, door latch, and single bed board. DNA from the three victims was also found on the seized murder weapon.

Li Yuxin said that based on the evidence in the case file, the citizen judges determined that Zhang Jiezong indeed murdered the three victims. Therefore, the professional judges and citizen judges reached a unanimous decision on the facts and sentencing, imposing the death penalty on Zhang Jiezong.

Chen Hongzhe, the attorney for the three groups of victims' families, said after the verdict that the citizen judges' imposition of three death sentences on the defendant is the minimum solace the law can provide to the victims' families.

Chen Hongzhe said that Zhang Jiezong denied the crime from investigation to trial, using excuses like "I don't know, I didn't, I can't explain," and even accused prosecutors of tampering with evidence, which is the most unforgivable aspect for the victims' families. Furthermore, the heads of two victims have not been found, which is the deepest pain for the families. (Editor: Long Bo'an) 1150605