CHINA: A Chinese court sentenced a man to death yesterday for the grisly slayings of 10 people in a Taoist temple, including the abbot, whom he believed had flirted with his wife.
Qiu Xinghua cut out the monk's eyes, heart and lungs and fried them in a wok, before writing "Deserved to Die" in blood on the walls of the temple. It's a gory tale that has both horrified and transfixed Chinese people who, unusually, have been able to watch the trial on television.
Mr Qiu had no previous criminal record or mental health issues and his motives remain puzzling.
A 47-year-old farmer, Mr Qiu went on his killing spree in July at the remote mountain temple in the northwestern province of Shaanxi and killed another person when he fled to neighbouring Hubei province.
Ankang Intermediate People's Court heard how Mr Qiu and his wife He Ranfeng visited the Tiewadian temple twice in June and July this year.
At one point Mr Qiu had an argument with a temple manager, Song Daocheng, who stopped him from moving objects in the temple. Mr Qiu also felt the abbot Xiong Wancheng had "taken liberties" with his wife during their stay, and made a plan to destroy the temple, prosecutors said.
On July 14th, Mr Qiu returned to the temple in the middle of the night with an axe and slaughtered all 10 people there, nine males and one female, aged between 12 and 62. He then burned the temple to the ground and escaped. The victims included staff and pilgrims.
The death penalty was handed down after a four-hour trial.
"The hearing went smoothly and Qiu didn't dispute any evidence presented by the prosecution, except saying he was not a lazy man as stated in the indictment," according to the Beijing News. During the trial, Mr Qiu for the first time apologised to the families of the victims, it said. He plans to appeal.
Mr Qiu was caught in August when he tried to return home, after hundreds of police had pursued him for over a month.