Sergeant Tsai Hsueh-liang Shot Dead: Control Member Urges Prosecution to Exhaust Scientific Verification
Control Member Tsai Chung-yi called for a renewed scientific investigation into the 18-year-old case of Sergeant Tsai Hsueh-liang's death. Forensic evidence now excludes the service rifle as the cause of death, prompting calls for systemic reforms in military death investigations.
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- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 22:23
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Air Force Sergeant Tsai Hsueh-liang died of a gunshot wound at a firing range in 2008. Control Member Tsai Chung-yi stated today that Professor Lee Chun-yi of the National Taiwan University Institute of Forensic Medicine concluded that 'the gunshot wound sustained by Tsai Hsueh-liang can be excluded as being caused by the domestically produced T65K2 rifle and ammunition.' The prosecution should exhaust all scientific verifications, and the Ministry of National Defense should fully assist in clarifying the truth.
On May 9, 2008, Tsai Hsueh-liang was shot dead during range training. The military initially claimed it was an accidental hit by a stray bullet, but subsequent military and civil investigations concluded it was a suicide by 'drinking the bullet' (self-inflicted shot to the mouth), leading to long-term protests by his family.
Tsai Chung-yi noted through a press release that the Executive Yuan had instructed the Ministry of National Defense in 2019 to commission Professor Lee Chun-yi for live-fire testing and forensic assessment. The conclusion directly challenged the previous findings.
Tsai further pointed out that although the Taitung District Prosecutors Office had previously declined to prosecute four individuals present at the scene due to lack of evidence of murder, that ruling does not rule out the possibility of other involved parties or homicide. To resolve long-standing doubts, the prosecution should break free from existing frameworks, introduce reputable forensic institutions, and conduct rigorous live-fire tests using similar T65 rifles to clarify the truth with objective scientific methods.
Investigation revealed that after nearly 18 years, the family still has many questions. These range from whether the fatal weapon was a T65 rifle or a .45 caliber pistol, the size of the exit wound, the missing bullet head at the scene, and multiple doubts regarding the alleged suicide note, including its unknown ink source and atypical writing style.
To learn from the painful lessons of this case—where the body was cremated hastily without an autopsy, incurring huge judicial and social costs—Tsai requested the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Justice to issue orders. Future non-natural deaths in the military should follow a 'mandatory autopsy, no immediate cremation' protocol, with full communication with the family to ensure complete evidence preservation.
Furthermore, the Ministry of National Defense should improve safety management at firing ranges. Both ministries should also study the implementation of 'restorative justice' in cases involving the death or injury of active-duty personnel to help families navigate their grief.
On May 9, 2008, Tsai Hsueh-liang was shot dead during range training. The military initially claimed it was an accidental hit by a stray bullet, but subsequent military and civil investigations concluded it was a suicide by 'drinking the bullet' (self-inflicted shot to the mouth), leading to long-term protests by his family.
Tsai Chung-yi noted through a press release that the Executive Yuan had instructed the Ministry of National Defense in 2019 to commission Professor Lee Chun-yi for live-fire testing and forensic assessment. The conclusion directly challenged the previous findings.
Tsai further pointed out that although the Taitung District Prosecutors Office had previously declined to prosecute four individuals present at the scene due to lack of evidence of murder, that ruling does not rule out the possibility of other involved parties or homicide. To resolve long-standing doubts, the prosecution should break free from existing frameworks, introduce reputable forensic institutions, and conduct rigorous live-fire tests using similar T65 rifles to clarify the truth with objective scientific methods.
Investigation revealed that after nearly 18 years, the family still has many questions. These range from whether the fatal weapon was a T65 rifle or a .45 caliber pistol, the size of the exit wound, the missing bullet head at the scene, and multiple doubts regarding the alleged suicide note, including its unknown ink source and atypical writing style.
To learn from the painful lessons of this case—where the body was cremated hastily without an autopsy, incurring huge judicial and social costs—Tsai requested the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Justice to issue orders. Future non-natural deaths in the military should follow a 'mandatory autopsy, no immediate cremation' protocol, with full communication with the family to ensure complete evidence preservation.
Furthermore, the Ministry of National Defense should improve safety management at firing ranges. Both ministries should also study the implementation of 'restorative justice' in cases involving the death or injury of active-duty personnel to help families navigate their grief.