China executes female ‘serial killer’ Lao Rongzhi, says report

China’s notorious female serial killer, Lao Rongzhi, was executed by death penalty on Monday in East China’s Jiangxi Province. Between 1996 and 1999, she was reportedly involved in robbery, extortion and the murder of seven people, including a child.

In 2022, the Jiangxi Provincial High People's Court affirmed the death sentence for Lao, who was convicted of orchestrating the deaths of seven individuals. The decision to uphold the severe penalty came after Lao's appeal was heard in August, nearly a year subsequent to the Intermediate People's Court of Nanchang, Jiangxi, handing down the initial sentence.

Lao's involvement in the crimes extended beyond the loss of life, leading to the deprivation of her political rights and the confiscation of all her assets. The crimes committed by Lao, alongside her ex-boyfriend Fa Ziying, encompassed robbery and kidnapping, in addition to the intentional and illegal taking of lives.

The high court underscored that Lao and Fa Ziying engaged in deliberate acts to unlawfully end the lives of others, utilised violence or threats to wrongfully acquire property, and resorted to kidnapping for extortion purposes.

Chinese media reports detail Lao's method of selecting targets at entertainment venues, while Fa Ziying executed the fatal actions. Lao managed to elude authorities for approximately two decades, adopting various aliases to evade capture until her apprehension in Fujian province in 2019. Subsequently, in August 2020, she faced charges of intentional homicide, robbery, and kidnapping.

The culmination of these crimes resulted in the death penalty for Lao, along with the forfeiture of political rights and the confiscation of her assets. The case highlights the gravity of the offences committed by Lao and Fa Ziying, underscoring the legal consequences meted out by the Jiangxi Provincial High People's Court.