A shocking case from China has drawn major public attention. A man conspired with his cousin to kill his own 7-year-old son for insurance money. The incident happened in 2020. But, its details have recently been revealed.
The man, identified as Zhang, had constant fights with his wife over money problems and her alleged affair. Angry and distressed, he decided to murder their child to claim a large insurance payout, the South China Morning Post reported.
Zhang contacted his cousin, a truck driver, because the truck owner had taken out two big insurance policies. He thought it could be used to cover a staged accident.
In October 2020, Zhang parked his car on a roadside with his son seated inside. He then told the boy to stand near the vehicle.
At that moment, the cousin drove a truck straight into the parked car, killing the child on the spot. Zhang pretended to be heartbroken and cried while holding his son’s body when police reached the scene, according to SCMP.
The cousin told officers he had been distracted by his phone and did not see the car. Zhang hid the fact that they were related.
Months later, Zhang collected 180,000 yuan (nearly ₹22.5 lakh) as insurance compensation and shared 30,000 yuan ( ₹3.75 lakh) with his cousin.
The cousin initially received a suspended sentence for the accident. He was ordered to compensate the family with one million yuan ( ₹1.25 crore). Most of it was paid by the insurer. The total compensation was nearly ₹1.5 crore.
The situation took a turn when it was discovered that the cousin had forged his transport licence. He was not legally certified to drive the truck.
As a result, the insurer refused to pay. The court then directed the truck owner, Luo, to compensate the family instead.
Shocked, Luo contacted the police and revealed that another man, Ye, knew about Zhang’s plan. Ye stayed silent out of fear. Police investigated further, the publication added.
Eventually, Zhang and his cousin were arrested. The murder plot was exposed. The cousin was later sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, which means the execution is suspended for two years.
Zhang also received the death penalty. However, he appealed for a lighter sentence. The outcome of his appeal remains unknown.
