Liu Zhanjin

Case record: Liu Zhanjin

Background

Liu Zhanjin died in explosion on March 29, 2000. He was described as a 34-year-old farmer and former miner used to handling explosives.

The case described a motive connected to his wife leaving him. It also included allegations that Liu had secretly murdered his wife and three-year-old son the year before the wedding bombing, and that he later lied about the mother and boy's whereabouts to his two daughters, who were in school when the murders took place. The case also described Liu's mental condition deteriorating, with the sight of others enjoying themselves filling him with rage.

The offence

Liu Zhanjin carried several bags filled with explosives to a village wedding in northern China's Shanxi province using a handcart. The wedding was attended by more than 100 people.

Liu detonated the explosives in the middle of the wedding party. The blasts killed Liu and 36 other people, and injured more than 30 people. The explosion shattered windows about 100 yards away (or about 100 metres away, as described in one report). The case further described that the bombs had been disguised as sacks of rice and packed with nails, steel bolts, bicycle parts and scrap iron.

The dead were described as including 20 members of the same family. It also stated that only 24 bodies were identifiable.

Investigation

Liu Zhanjin reportedly carried out several test explosions outside the village in advance.

Soon after the bombing, Liu revealed his motives and the location of his wife and son's remains to the police in a 50,000-word suicide letter.

Other details

Liu Zhanjin’s suicide letter to the police included the following verbatim passage:

Mr. Liu Zhanjin was very upset because his wife had left him. I don't know why she did so, but I would think this his bad temper may have been a very large problem for her. Being a former miner and farmer, Liu was quite adept at handling explosives, and after his wife had left him he would go out into the fields and blow shit up. Hey, we all need to destroy stuff now and again. There can't be anything wrong with that, can there? Umm, if that's all you doing then it shouldn't be a problem, but if you preparing to cause damage to something other than dirt or trees, it could become a problem, especially if you just blowing up dirt and trees to see how much explosive you'll need for.., well, we'll get to that in a second. On Wednesday, 29 March, 2000, the town where Liu lived in northern China's Shanxi province was host to a big local wedding. Over 100 people had gathered to see two young locals exchange vows and prepare for the beautiful happy life that couples seem to think they'll go on to enjoy. (personally I can't understand why anyone would want to spend the rest of their life with another person, but I guess that's just me). But the emotionally scared Liu had a better idea. He was going to save the poor young groom for having to handle the pain that his wife had put him through. He had a present for the newlyweds that would solve all of the pain. He arrived at the wedding pushing a handcart with his gift to the newlyweds, 50 kg (110 lb) of explosives. Needless to say that his gift certainly had an impact on the other guests. So much impact that there was structural damage and smashed windows in a 100 meter radius of his position. Standing right next to the explosives caused out humble farmer to be blown apart as soon as he had detonated them. Despite his own demise his actions were not completely in vain as he wasn't the only one taken out by the blast. In all, 36 other people were killed in and almost everyone else at the wedding were injured. Unfortunately I don't know if the young couple were amongst the dead, but I'm sure that they'll see just what separation can do to a man.

The case description included the claim that Liu had stabbed his wife to death after she tried to leave the house to visit friends, then killed his son, who had witnessed the incident, and ditched the bodies in a cesspool. It also stated that the father lied about the mother and boy's whereabouts to his two daughters, who were in school when the murders took place.

Timeline

• March 29, 2000 — Liu Zhanjin detonated several homemade explosives at a village wedding in northern China’s Shanxi province, killing himself and 36 other people and injuring more than 30 people.