Married Man Meets Teacher Turned Prostitute... Chinese Serial Killer on the Run for 20 Years Sentenced to Death

The Intermediate People's Court of Nanchang, China, sentenced the defendant Lao Longzi (47) to death for intentional murder, robbery, and kidnapping.
[Photo by Xinhua News Agency]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] A Chinese serial killer who was captured after 20 years on the run has been sentenced to death. He claimed that the crimes were committed under the coercion of his boyfriend, but the court did not accept this.

According to local media such as Xinhua News Agency and the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 12th, on the 9th, the Intermediate People's Court of Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China, sentenced Lao Rongzi (47), who was charged with killing seven people including a 3-year-old girl, to death.

The court recognized all charges including intentional homicide, kidnapping, and robbery, found Lao Rongzi guilty, stripped him of all political rights, and ordered the confiscation of all his property.

Lao Rongzi, a mother and an elementary school teacher, met Paz Ying, an older married man, in 1993 and developed a romantic relationship. At that time, Paz Ying had just been released after serving eight years for armed robbery.

Afterward, Lao Rongzi quit her teaching job after two years and lived with Paz Ying, working as a prostitute in entertainment establishments. This was to carry out crimes in collusion with Paz Ying.

At that time, Lao Rongzi would select and lure targets from wealthy families, and Paz Ying would assault the victims and then demand ransom from their families.

The two are known to have kidnapped, robbed, and murdered seven people in four cities: Nanchang, Wenzhou, Changzhou, and Hefei. Among them was a 3-year-old girl. The court determined that Lao Rongzi directly participated in the murder of five of them and was responsible for the deaths of the other two.

The Intermediate People's Court of Nanchang, China, sentenced the defendant Lao Longzi (47) to death for intentional murder, robbery, and kidnapping.
[Photo by Xinhua News Agency]

Their serial killings ended in July 1999 when Paz Ying was caught at a victim's home during his last crime. However, during the investigation, Paz Ying gave false testimony, allowing Lao Rongzi to evade the police investigation.

Subsequently, Paz Ying was sentenced to death at trial and was executed in December of the same year.

Lao Rongzi lived on the run for 20 years using a fake ID. Then, in November 2019, while selling watches at a shopping mall in Xiamen City, Fujian Province, his face was captured by a facial recognition machine at the building entrance, and he was immediately identified and arrested by the police.

However, since the trial began in December last year, Lao Rongzi has consistently claimed innocence and alleged abuse by Paz Ying. He pleaded, "I kept trying to escape, but I could not get out of my boyfriend's grip because he threatened my family," and insisted, "The crimes were committed under coercion." However, the court did not accept this.

Meanwhile, Lao Rongzi's side has announced plans to appeal to local media.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.