Dong Wenyu

Name

Dong Wenyu

Status / Outcome

Dong Wenyu was sentenced to death in June 2007 and was executed on November 29, 2007. The sentence was approved by China's Supreme People's Court.

Timeline

• June 2007 — Dong Wenyu was sentenced to death by the intermediate people's court in Jinhua city, Zhejiang Province.
• July 19, 2006 — China's Ministry of Public Security issued an arrest order for Dong Wenyu.
• November 16 (year not stated) — Dong Wenyu was arrested in the early hours when attempting to steal a cell phone from a second-floor apartment in the Xiangbi Township of southwestern Sichuan Province.
• November 30, 2007 — An execution was reported in east China's Zhejiang Province.
• November 29, 2007 — Dong Wenyu was executed.

The offence

Dong Wenyu was found to have killed six people, injured two others, and raped several women in five burglaries committed between March and May in eastern Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Fujian provinces. In those burglaries, he broke into victims' houses in the middle of the night while the house owners were asleep to steal money or valuable items. If the owners were woken up by the noise, he killed them, mostly by cutting their throats. Dong raped several women and sometimes he even had sex with the bodies of women he had killed.

In addition to the conduct linked to the five burglaries between March and May, Dong was also found to have broken into houses in Jiangxi, Zhejiang and Sichuan, stealing money and other items valued at 8,600 yuan from November 2004 to November 2006.

Investigation and arrest

China's Ministry of Public Security issued an arrest order for Dong Wenyu on July 19, 2006. Dong was arrested in the early hours of November 16 (year not stated) when attempting to steal a cell phone from a second-floor apartment in the Xiangbi Township of southwestern Sichuan Province. The owner woke up and cried out. Dong jumped out of a window and broke his right leg before being recognized by local police.

Trial

Dong Wenyu was sentenced to death in June 2007 by the intermediate people's court in Jinhua city, Zhejiang Province. The court confirmed the offences involving breaking into victims' houses at night, killing victims when awakened, and raping women, including sexual activity with the bodies of women he had killed. Dong's case involved killing six people, injuring two others, and raping several women in five burglaries in which he stole 1,600 yuan between March and May in eastern Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Fujian provinces.

The intermediate people's court's sentencing was approved by China's Supreme People's Court. Dong did not appeal to the higher court.

Sentencing and appeals

Dong Wenyu was sentenced to death in June 2007.

Other details

Dong Wenyu was unemployed. His parents divorced and he left home at the age of 11. He had previous convictions of willful and malicious injury and theft, and had served previous jail terms of 18 months and two and a half years.