- By Shivangi Sharma
- Fri, 14 Nov 2025 07:01 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
A horrifying murder case in China has triggered widespread outrage after a man was sentenced to death for orchestrating the killing of his own seven-year-old son. According to China Daily and the South China Morning Post, the court also sentenced his cousin, an accomplice in the crime, to death for intentional homicide. The man, identified as Zhang, was reportedly driven by anger over his wife’s infidelity and the desire to claim insurance money.
Zhang, a resident of Sanming City in Fujian Province, began planning his son’s murder as early as April 2020. Prosecutors said he intentionally enlisted the help of his cousin, a truck driver whose employer had taken out multiple high-value insurance policies on the vehicle. Believing that the insurance scheme would provide financial gain, the pair plotted a staged accident that would look like a tragic road mishap.
Staged Crash Leads To Child’s Instant Death
In October 2020, Zhang drove with his son to a quiet stretch of road and parked on the roadside. Pretending it was a routine stop, he instructed his young son to stand beside the car. Within moments, a truck driven by the cousin sped toward them and crashed into the parked vehicle. The truck struck the child directly, killing him instantly. When police arrived, Zhang was seen crying and holding the boy’s lifeless body, acting like a grieving father.
False Claims And Attempts To Mislead Police
The cousin initially told authorities that he had been distracted by his mobile phone and failed to see the car. Zhang backed up his story and hid their family relationship from the investigators. However, inconsistencies soon raised suspicion. Months later, Zhang collected an insurance payout of USD25,000 and gave his cousin 30,000 yuan, confirming the conspiracy.
After a detailed investigation, the court concluded that the crash was a meticulously staged murder motivated by greed and revenge. Calling the act “extremely cruel” and “inhumane,” the court sentenced both Zhang and his cousin to death. The case has sparked fury across China, with citizens demanding stronger monitoring of insurance fraud and harsher penalties for crimes involving children.