Death sentence upheld for serial sex killer
Print Edition
A SERIAL sex killer — for one of whose murders an innocent man was executed — lost his appeal against his death sentence yesterday, in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Between April 1996 and July 2005, Zhao Zhihong raped 12 women and girls, killing 10 of his victims.
He also stole cash and goods worth 34,900 yuan (US$5,625).
Zhao was arrested in 2005 and confessed to a string of rapes and murders — including a 1996 rape and murder for which an 18-year-old named Huugjilt had been executed.
That murder was not among nine for which Zhao was tried in 2006 but his insistence that he had killed 10 women and girls led to the regional higher court suspending proceedings.
Last November, the court reviewed the 1996 case and in December declared Huugjilt innocent and posthumously pardoned him, clearing the way for Zhao’s trial to resume.
In February, the Hohhot Intermediate Court sentenced Zhao to death on convictions of 21 counts of murder, rape, burglary and robbery.
Zhao asked for a lighter sentence in view of his confessions, but this was rejected by the regional higher court yesterday.
Zhao’s motives were despicable, his measures cruel and the consequences serious, thus, it refused to give a lenient punishment despite him confessing to some of the crimes, the higher court said.
Zhao’s lawyer, Zhang Ruijun, said he respected the verdict.
Huugjilt’s father, Li Sanren, said Zhao deserved his punishment as he killed so many people, news portal Sina reported.
Huugjilt’s family have received 2.05 million yuan in compensation from the state.
Prosecutors have been questioning police officers in charge of the 1996 investigation.
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