Wang Zhijian

Background

Wang Zhijian was a Chinese national.

Wang’s relationship with Zhang Meng ended and resumed multiple times. They first met in 1996 at a brokerage firm, where Wang traded in stocks. The introduction had been done by Wang’s colleague. They had lived in Tianjin, where Wang worked as a supervisor at a port, but there was hardly any contact between them. In 2004, Wang divorced his wife, saying they were just incompatible.

In 2005, Zhang called Wang and asked to meet at a coffee house. Wang poured his heart out about his ex-wife. From then on, they met once a week, then twice a week. In early 2006, Zhang asked Wang if he loved her and he said yes. They had sex for the first time on March 17, which Wang clearly recalled.

In June, Zhang revealed she was married. Wang said he wanted to break up with her, and he said he did so again when he suspected her of having other lovers. Wang said: “She told me that since the first glance at me, she had fallen in love with me. She wanted to be with me for the rest of her life.” Wang described that Zhang used a needle to prick her finger and wrote “I love Wang Zhi” in her blood. Wang said: “Not being able to stand the pain, she asked Wang to continue using his blood and he did, writing ‘...jian, I want to marry him’”. Wang said that when she asked him to express his love for her, he put “I love her until I die” in blood as well.

In November 2006, Zhang’s husband Feng Jinqiang called Wang to a meeting and asked Zhang to choose between them. Zhang picked Wang. Wang said Zhang’s family started to harass him; Wang claimed he had been beaten and threatened with death, and that they also looked for him at his workplace. Wang said he took early retirement and got 400,000 yuan. He said that in three months he spent a quarter of the money on branded clothes and expensive meals for Zhang. He said Zhang divorced her husband in 2007. He said that after her ex-husband suffered a stroke, Zhang decided to stay and take care of him. The affair ended, but only for four months, after which Zhang and her daughter moved in with Wang.

Jianyu then got a place in Northview Secondary School in Singapore and moved there with her mother in December 2007. Wang said the couple broke up again a few months later. Wang said Zhang returned during the March school holidays, tracked down him, and they reunited. Two months later, Zhang asked Wang to follow her to Singapore. Wang said he told her he did not have the money to support her lavish lifestyle, and he said Zhang promised she would take care of him. Wang said he believed her.

In Singapore, Wang claimed he spent his money on food for Zhang and her daughter, cooked for them while he ate their scraps, and hand-washed their clothes, including undergarments. He said he was forced to stay in the bedroom naked because Zhang did not allow him to leave the room when her daughter and sub-tenants were around. Wang said that since there was no toilet there, he had to defecate and urinate into plastic bags and newspapers. Wang said he did not resist her because he was afraid she would come up with even harsher rules, saying: “She might even bite me.”

Wang said that on his first trip to Singapore in July, the 2,800 yuan he brought was spent within four days, mostly on food for Zhang, including $140 for a crab meal at a nearby seafood restaurant. He said that after he returned to Tianjin, Zhang called him to say her friends said he could get a job at a logistics company and urged him to return as soon as possible.

Wang said his second trip was on Aug 3. Wang said Zhang introduced him to agents who quoted various charges to help him get a job, but Zhang refused his request to pay for him first, saying she did not have enough money. Wang said they quarrelled more than once before he left on Sept 2. Wang said Zhang then called him to say that Jianyu would be transferred to Raffles Girls’ School and asked him to come to help her arrange the move. He said he withdrew 7,000 yuan—nearly all that was left of his life’s savings—and arrived on Sept 9. Wang said that within five days he had spent 2,000 yuan, including $120 for two crabs, cooked for mother and daughter. He said two pieces were left for him, but Jianyu told her mother she wanted them for her breakfast, leaving Wang with no crab. Wang said: “But Jianyu told her mother she wanted them for her breakfast. I was left with no crab.”

Wang said that in 2008 he visited Zhang three times on social visit passes and that he was subjected to bizarre and humiliating treatment during those visits. He described that Zhang prevented him from leaving the bedroom and forced him to urinate and defecate into plastic bags and newspapers.

Wang also had tattoos on his body. He said that in May 2007, Zhang’s face and half-body were put on his back with a rose at the bottom, which he said expressed his “sincere” love for her. Eight months later, he had put a snake on his left shoulder to symbolise her viciousness, and a skeleton and heart on the right one. He said: “The skeleton resembled the ‘dead god’ (Ms Zhang) slowly and gradually swallowing my heart.”

The offence

On 18 September 2008, Wang Zhijian murdered his lover Zhang Meng, 41, Zhang’s daughter Feng Jianyu, 17, and Zhang’s flatmate Yang Jie, 36, in Zhang’s house. He also attempted to murder Yang’s daughter, Li Meilin, 15.

Wang stabbed Zhang Meng repeatedly with a knife. After the attack on Zhang Meng, Wang stabbed Feng Jianyu, killing her too.

Wang then attacked Yang Jie and Yang’s daughter, Li Meilin, who was the one survivor.

Wang claimed that after he attacked Zhang Meng and Feng Jianyu, the door to the other bedroom opened and he saw two people standing there, and he rushed in to kill them. The court did not find that to be how it happened. The court found that Wang had first gone back to the kitchen to get another weapon and selected a chopper, and then entered the other bedroom to silence Yang Jie and her daughter.

The mother and daughter suffered a total of 98 stab and slash wounds. In the account given during the court proceedings, Li Meilin described being awakened by heavy breathing outside her bedroom, then hearing Jianyu shouting “auntie and uncle” in Mandarin and hearing cutlery falling. Li and her mother debated whether to call the police. When the door swung open, Wang rushed in. Li screamed and Wang started slashing her while her mother rushed out.

Li put her hands up and squatted with her back to the wall, but Wang continued using the chopper on her. Li said Wang left to go after her mother, warning her from outside not to move. Li then went to shut the door, but Wang hacked at the foldable plastic door until it collapsed. Li described that Wang then slashed her head, face and neck until she fell to the toilet floor. Li said that when Wang left her, her only thought was: “God, let me die.”

Li described that Wang returned and stabbed her in the lower back, right ear and back of the neck. When she regained some consciousness, she could hear Wang speaking to police, who eventually rescued her. Li did not realise at the time that her mother’s body was on the ground floor.

Yang Jie died from acute haemorrhage due to multiple injuries after landing on her head and left hip. She also had two wounds on her right and left fingers which were not consistent with a fall.

The prosecution’s case was that Yang Jie had climbed out of the kitchen window to stand on a narrow concrete overhang, holding on to the bamboo pole holders beneath the window sill. The prosecution said that worried that she might escape, Wang used the chopper to cut Yang’s fingers, causing Yang to lose her grip. Forensic experts did not find Yang’s blood within the flat. Instead, it was found on the exterior wall of the kitchen beside the bamboo pole holders, which supported the prosecution’s case.

Argument over money for crab

Wang’s killing spree followed an argument over crabs. Wang said he had been humiliated and used vulgarities by Zhang Meng, and that this was the last straw. The Straits Times reported that being humiliated by Zhang Meng for not giving her money to buy crabs for dinner was the last straw.

Wang described that after an argument that broke out and lasted nearly an hour, Zhang went to sleep wearing only her panties. Wang was naked and laid down on the mattress in the same room but could not fall asleep. Wang said: “I felt that I couldn’t breathe. My whole body was trembling... My mind was a blank. The blood was gushing to my head, I did not see anything before my eyes, everything was red. I was unable to control my thoughts.” Wang said he thought about how “wicked” she was and how she was spending his money “although she has not been faithful to me”.

Wang said that after about an hour he went into the kitchen and remained there for some time. Instead of cooling down, he grabbed a knife. He returned to the bedroom and closed the door. The lights were still off. Wang said:

“I grasped the knife with my right hand and thrust it 45 degree downwards at Zhang’s abdomen region. At that moment, she screamed and struggled a little as if she wanted to sit up. I thrust her many times with the knife continuously and I could not remember the exact number of times. "It happened very fast and vaguely I remember she continued to struggle and move her body. I thrust her abdomen region with the knife until she became motionless. My knife went in and out of her body.”

Wang said the door opened and it was Jianyu. Wang described that he stepped forward towards Jianyu and lost his mind and could not control his emotion. He said:

“I was near to the doorway and I stepped forward towards that person. I lost my mind and I could not control my emotion. I went forward to stab that person’s abdomen region,” Wang told police. “I gave that person a few thrusts at the abdomen region with the same knife. That person did not struggle. She staggered forward when I gave her the subsequent stabs. She collapsed on the same mattress, beside Zhang.”

Wang said the mother and daughter suffered a total of 98 stab and slash wounds.

Wang told police that he believed that after the attack on Zhang Meng and Jianyu, the door to the other bedroom opened and he saw two people standing there, and he rushed in to kill them. The court found this was not how it happened, including a finding that no traces of blood from the other tenants were found on the knife used to kill Madam Zhang. Instead, the court said Wang had gone back to the kitchen and used a chopper to silence Yang Jie and her daughter.

Wang said that after the argument on 18 September, Zhang had insulted him and used vulgarities. Wang said:

“Zhang humiliated and used vulgarities on me. She scolded me poor fellow... I told her I have spent all my savings on her. What does she expect from me? She even said that I was produced by dogs and donkey... On hearing all these, I became very angry.”

Investigation and forensic evidence

During the court proceedings, forensic experts did not find Yang Jie’s blood within the flat. The blood was found on the exterior wall of the kitchen beside the bamboo pole holders.

The prosecution’s case was that Wang caused Yang Jie to fall by cutting her fingers holding bamboo pole holders from the exterior wall near the kitchen window.

Wang denied parts of the attack or claimed he did not remember how he attacked the victims. Wang told police and the court that his mind had gone blank from rage.

Wang stuck to the story that he could not remember how he attacked his four victims, and he claimed his mind had gone blank from rage. He said he did not know how he had a knife in his hand and why he attacked Zhang Meng and the others, saying it was only when he was taking a shower after the attack that he realised something had happened.

The prosecution pointed out that Wang remembered to shower to wash the blood, then wore his clothes, put plasters on his injured finger, packed his bag, took his travel documents, and then wore his socks and shoes, suggesting he was thinking enough to flee. Wang disagreed, saying if he had wanted to escape, he would have packed all his things and used a better bag, and he claimed he did not remember putting on socks and shoes after his shower.

“I do not remember” became a recurring theme described during the trial.

Trial

Justice Chan Seng Onn presided over the trial.

Psychiatric evidence included agreement that Wang was suffering from an “adjustment disorder,” but experts disagreed on whether it reduced his responsibility enough to reduce charges. Psychiatric experts for the prosecution and defence both agreed he had an “adjustment disorder,” but they disagreed on whether it impaired him sufficiently to reduce his responsibility for the attack.

Justice Chan Seng Onn found that anger at the way Wang had been treated had built up and exploded after the final argument. The judge said Wang was still in that state when Jianyu came into the room, and after that a longer series of events occurred—including taking time to search for a new weapon and warning Li Meilin not to run—during which Wang could have regained his senses.

Justice Chan Seng Onn found that the evidence showed Wang could have exercised rational judgment and intended to kill Yang Jie. The judge said there was “a considerable degree of release of his bottled up anger and emotions” after the murder of the person he was angry with, and he found Wang guilty of culpable homicide in the deaths of his lover and her daughter, but of murder for Yang Jie.

Defence diminished responsibility and charge reductions

For the murder charges involving Zhang Meng and Feng Jianyu, Justice Chan Seng Onn accepted diminished responsibility. Wang had told the court that on the night of the killings, Zhang Meng had insulted his parents and cruelly belittled him, and he said his mind went blank. He said he picked up a knife and stabbed Zhang Meng repeatedly in her sleep. He also said that while attacking Zhang Meng, Jianyu entered the room and he lunged at her.

Justice Chan Seng Onn said that coupled with Wang’s adjustment disorder—which might have reduced his capacity to control himself and developed as a result of multiple stressors—Wang became so angry with Zhang Meng on that evening that he went into a frenzy beyond his control. Justice Chan Seng Onn held that the charges of murdering Zhang Meng and Jianyu were reduced to culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Justice Chan Seng Onn reserved judgment on sentencing for those charges pending the appeal against the death sentence.

Attempted murder charge

During the proceedings, one charge of attempting to murder Yang’s daughter, Li Meilin, was stood down. Li Meilin survived.

Witness testimony

On Nov 22, 2011, Li Meilin testified about the events. She described being awakened by heavy breathing, hearing Jianyu’s shouting in Mandarin, and hearing cutlery falling. She described the decision debate about calling police, and then the door swinging open as Wang rushed in. She described being slashed repeatedly with the chopper and later hacked by Wang after she escaped to the kitchen toilet and closed the foldable plastic door.

She described that after she kicked Wang and he fell, she ran into the kitchen toilet and closed the foldable plastic door. She said Wang hacked at it until it collapsed, then slashed her head, face and neck until she fell. She described Wang returning and stabbing her in the lower back, right ear and back of the neck, and she described hearing Wang speaking to police who eventually rescued her.

Police arrival

The police arrival details were discussed. Justice Chan Seng Onn said that from the fact that the three occupants in the flat did not have any signs of life, he deduced Wang believed he had succeeded in killing Meilin, “albeit wrongly.”

Justice Chan Seng Onn said Wang performed a series of tasks before attacking the co-tenants, like looking for another weapon and walking around the flat, giving him time to cool down. The judge said: “Clearly, Wang was no longer in a frenzied state by then, nor was he acting in an irrational manner or behaving in an uncontrolled fashion anymore.” The judge said: “He knew and understood what he was doing when he cut (Madam) Yang’s fingers.” The judge said: “He was able to exercise his rational judgment and his intention to have (Madam) Yang killed to silence her as a potential informant and witness was clear.”

Sentencing

At the end of the trial in November 2012, Wang Zhijian was sentenced to death for only Yang’s murder.

Wang pleaded for the judge to sentence him to death. On April 30, 2012, it was reported that after another day of intense grilling in the murder trial, Wang said he did not want to be questioned any more and pleaded in tears with the judge to sentence him to death. It stated he was accused of intentionally killing Zhang Meng, her daughter Feng Jianyu, and causing the death of Yang Jie. It also stated that one charge of attempting to murder Yang’s daughter, Li Meilin, had been stood down and Li Meilin was the sole survivor.

Wang pleaded with Justice Chan Seng Onn to stop questioning and for sentencing. Wang’s pleas included:

“You can sentence me to death. Just don't ask me any more. It is too uncomfortable.”

It stated Wang begged not to be questioned any more and pleaded: “You can sentence me to death. Just don't ask me any more. It is too uncomfortable.”

Dr Tommy Tan, consultant psychiatrist at Novena Medical Center, examined Wang four times in October and November 2010. Dr Tan and Dr Kenneth Koh, who was the prosecution’s expert witness, agreed that Wang suffered from a prolonged depressive reaction, or adjustment disorder with depressed mood.

Dr Tan concluded that Wang “has an abnormality of mind, and he qualified for the defence of (diminished responsibility)”, but it stated that in court documents submitted, Dr Koh disagreed.

Taking the stand late yesterday afternoon, Dr Tan said he believed Wang had been suffering from this condition since 2007, when he was still in China, and that it “escalated when he was in Singapore”. Dr Tan said stress factors like harassment and threats from Zhang Meng’s family, the loss of his job, and humiliating conditions while living with Zhang Meng in Singapore contributed to his condition. It was reported that Dr Tan said: “A person suffering from this disorder may have violent outbursts.”

Dr Tan explained why Wang could give detailed and coherent statements to the police but not in court, including: “It could have been that Wang unconsciously forgot this part of his memory.” Dr Tan speculated: “the trauma of having killed his loved one could have caused this memory loss.”

Dr Tan said that when stabbing Zhang Meng and Feng Jianyu and attacking Yang Jie and Li Meilin, Wang would have been aware of his actions, adding: “It could have been a temporal loss of self-control.” It was reported that Dr Tan said: “A big proportion of such offenders cannot remember (what they did). When they are doing it, they are aware. Post-event, they may forget.”

Dr Tan was asked how soon the memory loss occurs and said it could be quite soon or even immediately, and he said he could not give a specific answer as no study had been conducted on this.

Asked to comment on ferocity, Dr Tan said:

“I can only say that it was a frenzied attack. Awareness does not equal thinking. Maybe he was not thinking. He cannot control his actions but knows what he is doing.”

The sentencing reported was that Wang was sentenced to death.

Appeals

In November 2014, the Court of Appeal rejected Wang’s appeal against the death sentence and allowed the prosecution’s appeal. It found Wang guilty of murder for all three murders.

A three-judge appeal court allowed the prosecution’s appeal and found Wang guilty of murder for Zhang Meng and Feng Jianyu as well. It was stated that the judges were not convinced Wang lost control because of his mental condition.

The judges found that Wang killed Zhang Meng in “extreme anger” and killed Feng Jianyu because she was a witness. It was also stated that the appeal court agreed that there was no doubt that Wang caused Yang Jie to fall six floors to her death with intention to kill.

Justice Chao Hick Tin delivered the court’s decision and disagreed that Wang suffered from an abnormality of the mind.

The article described that although Wang’s fate had not changed since he had been condemned to hang two years earlier, the difference was that he now stood guilty of murder for all three deaths. It stated that the High Court in 2012 had convicted him of murder only for Yang Jie, while finding him guilty of culpable homicide for Zhang Meng and Feng Jianyu based on diminished responsibility. It stated that Wang appealed against the conviction for Yang Jie’s murder, while the prosecution appealed for a finding of murder for the other two deaths as well.

Outcome

After the November 2014 Court of Appeal decision, Wang Zhijian stood guilty of murder for the deaths of Zhang Meng, Feng Jianyu, and Yang Jie. His appeal against the death sentence was rejected, and the prosecution’s appeal was allowed, making Wang guilty of all three murders.

Aftermath

Li Meilin survived the attack, and she provided a statement in court on Nov 22, 2011.

The proceedings described how the police arrived and that Wang told them the three occupants in the flat did not have any signs of life. Justice Chan Seng Onn said he deduced Wang believed he had succeeded in killing Meilin.

A later report described that court heard Wang stabbed and slashed two victims, a mother and daughter, a total of 98 times, with 16 wounds potentially fatal. It also stated that the teenager Li Meilin was the only survivor, and it described the duration of the attack as one hour and 49 minutes.

“God, let me die.”

was included as part of Li Meilin’s testimony about her thoughts when she was left in the toilet area.