Yang Xinhai

Case overview

Yang Xinhai (simplified Chinese: 杨新海; pinyin: Yáng Xīnhǎi; 17 July 1968–14 February 2004) was executed on February 14, 2004. He confessed to killing 65 people in central China from 1999 to 2003 and was convicted of killings described as involving 67 murders during a multi-province killing spree. He also was convicted of rapes, with reports stating different totals.

Yang’s relatives later lived in Pennsylvania and often claimed he had been obsessed with a phrase he was known to talk about: "Plato Flats", a fictional place he created for stories of murder he had begun writing. The same relatives said his stories were written on everything Yang had and that he was known for having drawings and outlines for various other ideas in "Mead" Notebooks, including depictions of ideas for stories and films he wanted to create.

Timeline

• November 3, 2003 — Police arrested Yang Xinhai in Cangzhou, Hebei, in connection with murders of at least 67 people across multiple provinces and DNA links to crime scenes were later reported.
• November 23, 2003 — Chinese police were reported to have arrested Yang in northern China in Cangzhou City during a routine inspection of entertainment venues.
• February 1, 2004 — A trial in Luohe, Henan, resulted in a guilty verdict after a trial lasting less than an hour, and Yang was sentenced to death.
• February 14, 2004 — Yang was executed by gunshot or shot in the head in Luohe, Henan.

Background

Yang was described as a migrant worker. Reports said he was a very "insidious" criminal and that he had been imprisoned twice on charges of burglary and rape, followed by time in re-education through labour camps. He dropped out of school in 1985 and began to travel to other regions working as a hired labourer. Reports also described concerns expressed in Chinese internet forums about why similar murders were only reported after police had arrested suspects.

The offence

Yang’s killing spree involved rural areas and multiple provinces, with reports naming Henan, Anhui, Shandong, and Hebei. He often entered victims’ homes at night and killed multiple family members.

Reports described his methods as using tools such as axes, shovels, an iron hammer, and meat cleavers. Some reports said he used white gloves during attacks, often leaving them at the scene of the crime. He was also described as sometimes clearing the scenes of crime before fleeing.

Yang was reported to have raped female victims. Authorities and reporting described the rapes as occurring alongside his killings, and he was later convicted of rapes.

One detailed account described a specific attack:

• On December 6, 2002, Yang killed Liu Zhanwei, a farmer in Liuzhuang Village of Henan’s Xiping County; and Liu’s mother, wife, son and daughter. Only Liu’s father, 68-year-old Liu Zhongyuan, survived because he slept in a new house that night. Liu Zhongyuan’s wife died 10 days after being sent to hospital on December 6, and the other four people died where they were found. Yang later confessed that he used an iron hammer to kill the five family members at 1 am on December 6, buried the hammer near a tomb at night, and threw his bloody clothes into a river. The same account said Yang walked two hours to the city of Luohe and said he used a new hammer for each murder.

Other reporting described that he killed entire families on at least two occasions and that, in some instances, whole families were put to death.

Investigation

Chinese police linked Yang to the crimes through DNA testing, with reporting saying police matched his DNA with that found at several crime scenes. Reports said authorities barred the public and reporters from Yang’s hour-long trial, citing privacy concerns in rape cases.

Accounts said police piece together the killing spree and that neighboring villagers discovered the scenes with victims bludgeoned on the head with axes and shovels. One report said police said Yang usually carried out criminal acts at night and cleared the scenes before he ran away. Another report said that police said Yang cleared scenes and that he wore new clothes and shoes with larger size than his own.

Arrest

Yang was arrested in Cangzhou, Hebei, during routine police inspections of entertainment venues. Multiple reports described the arrest as occurring because police recognized him from a national most-wanted list or because he appeared suspicious, followed by discovery that he was wanted for murders in multiple provinces.

Reports also stated that Yang sometimes traveled between towns by bicycle.

Trial

Yang was found guilty at a trial in Luohe, Henan. Reporting said the trial lasted less than an hour and that the Luohe City Intermediate People’s Court sentenced him to death.

Reports described that Yang waived his right to an appeal and said he would not appeal to a higher court. The hearing was described as conducted behind closed doors to protect the identities of the female rape victims.

The Luohe Intermediate People’s Court sentenced Yang to death for crimes described as intentional homicide, willful and malicious injury, pillage and rape.

Sentencing

On February 1, 2004, Yang was sentenced to death in Luohe, Henan, after being found guilty. Reports stated he had not appealed against the sentence.

Appeals

Yang did not pursue an appeal, and he waived his right to an appeal.

Outcome

Yang was executed on February 14, 2004. Reports stated different execution methods, including "executed by gunshot" and "shot in the head." Reports placed the execution in Luohe, Henan.

Aftermath

Media reporting about Yang’s trial and execution described limited release of victims’ identities and details of victims’ deaths. Authorities barred the public and reporters from the trial, citing privacy concerns in rape cases.

Other details

Names and aliases

Some reporting said Yang used aliases, including "Yang Zhiya" and also "Yang Liu." Another report said he went by the aliases Yang Liu and Yang Xinhai.

Motive and statements

Reports stated that Yang’s motive was disputed in how it was characterized:

• One account said motive was that his girlfriend dumped him after she found out about a previous prison term for burglary and rape, and that he took his anger out on society.
• Another account said he was motiveless or that he enjoyed death, while police and reporting described other characterizations.

An interview shown on China’s Central Television after his trial included statements attributed to Yang:

"When I killed people I had a desire (to kill more). This inspired me to kill more. I don't care whether they deserve to live or not. It is none of my concern," Yang said.
"I have no desire to be part of society. Society is not my concern," he said.

A detention house statement attributed to Yang said:

"killing people is very usual, nothing special."

A local policeman was quoted saying:

"He committed crimes to merely hurt society."

A Guangzhou Daily newspaper article was quoted as saying Yang:

"His methods were extremely cruel," and "He didn't leave survivors, and more than a few families were exterminated by his hand."

Prior criminal history described

Reports described Yang’s prior sentences and labour camp history, including re-education through labour camps in 1988 and 1991 for theft in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, and Shijiazhuang, Hebei. One account said he was sentenced to five years in prison in 1996 for an attempted rape in Zhumadian, Henan Province, and released in 2000, after which the killing spree began.

Quantities reported for killings and rapes

Reporting varied in the numbers stated for killings and rapes. Some reports described confessions to 65 killings, others described convictions for 67 murders, and some reports described convictions for 23 rapes, including descriptions ranging across 23 and 25.