Gong Runbo

Background

Gong Runbo was a Chinese serial killer.

He was imprisoned in October 1996 for raping a young girl. He was released in 2004 after serving an eight-year sentence.

After his release, Gong chose to rent an apartment in a residential area of shanties instead of returning to his former residence and reporting to the police station there.

The offence

Between March 2005 and February 2006, Gong murdered six children between the ages of 9 and 16 in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province.

Gong lured the children from the street and from an Internet cafe to his rented apartment in Jiamusi.

He sexually assaulted and murdered the six children and was described as often leaving the bodies to decompose.

Gong also lured and molested five others aged 12 and 13.

Investigation

After Gong’s arrest, police found four decomposing bodies and children’s clothes in his apartment.

Forensic evidence led police to conclude that perhaps more than 20 children had been killed in the apartment.

Wu Heping, spokesman for China’s Ministry of Public Security, dismissed reports that more than six children might have died after DNA tests on the clothes.

Investigators said Gong took some victims to an Internet cafe without being stopped, despite rules limiting children’s access to such sites.

Most of the victims came from families where parents were busy making a living all day long and had no time to take care of children.

Local police officers in Jiamusi were criticized for their slow response to missing children reports as the murder spree lasted for nearly a year. Wu Heping acknowledged that slowness in investigation might have prolonged the killing.

Wu Heping said: "Sadly, six dead kids may have died because of our failings,"

The provincial police chief ordered intensive inspections of rented houses, migrant populations, and cases of missing people after Gong’s case.

Arrest

Gong was arrested on February 28, 2006, when a boy escaped from Gong’s apartment and called the police.

Police captured Gong in a nearby Internet cafe.

Officers sent to search Gong’s apartment came across a scene described as rotting bodies and scattered bones. Four of the corpses were described as still being in a somewhat intact state and showing signs of having been sexually abused prior to their deaths.

Trial

The Intermediate People’s Court of Jiamusi City sentenced Gong Runbo to death.

The court heard that Gong lured the children off the street and from an Internet cafe to his rented apartment in Jiamusi from March 2005 to February 2006. He also lured and molested five others aged 12 and 13.

Gong pleaded guilty at the court and said he would not appeal.

Sentencing

Gong was sentenced to death on July 13 and was ordered to pay 661,840 yuan (84,743 U.S. dollars) to the victims.

Appeals

The victims appealed to the court to seek compensation from the Internet cafe and apartment owners.

The Heilongjiang Provincial Higher People’s Court rejected the appeals and upheld the verdict on December 20.

Outcome

Gong Runbo was executed by shot in the head on December 20, 2006.

From January 1, 2007, the Supreme People’s Court would reassume authority over the approval of death penalties for the first time since it was devolved to provincial higher courts during a crackdown on crime in the early 1980s.

Timeline

• October 1996 — Gong Runbo was imprisoned for raping a young girl.
• 2004 — Gong Runbo was released after serving an eight-year sentence.
• March 2005 — Gong Runbo began murdering six children between the ages of 9 and 16, luring them to his rented apartment in Jiamusi.
• February 2006 — Gong Runbo’s murder spree ended.
• February 28, 2006 — Gong Runbo was arrested after a boy escaped and called police; Gong was captured in a nearby Internet cafe.
• July 13, 2006 — Gong Runbo was sentenced to death.
• December 20, 2006 — The Heilongjiang Provincial Higher People’s Court upheld the verdict; Gong Runbo was executed by shot in the head.
• January 1, 2007 — The Supreme People’s Court reassumed authority over the approval of death penalties.
• January 2007 — Gong Runbo was executed.

Other details

Gong spent most of the time playing computer games at an Internet cafe, described as similar to many of the jobless in China.

He was previously convicted at the Intermediate People’s Court of Jiamusi City, Heilongjiang Province, of rape and the murders of six children aged nine to 16.

Gong pleaded guilty and said he would not appeal.

Wu Heping stated that reports of more than six children might have died were dismissed after DNA tests on the clothes.

Gong’s case included reports that he was believed to have lured the children to his apartment in Jiamusi where he carried out the killings and often left the bodies to decompose.