A shocking case from China has resurfaced, revealing how a father, enraged by his daughter’s secret marriage to a much older man, resorted to hiring killers to eliminate his son-in-law.
According to reports from Xiaoxiang Morning Post, the 21-year-old daughter secretly registered her marriage with a 70-year-old man in December 1994. The father, furious at the union, voiced strong opposition but failed to convince the elderly husband to agree to a divorce. Consumed by anger, he decided to take matters into his own hands.
On April 7, 1995, the father encountered his nephew and proposed paying him 10,000 yuan (around S$1,800) to find people to murder his unwanted son-in-law. The nephew agreed and gradually assembled three accomplices to carry out the plan.
Brutal Attack Inside the Victim’s Home
Two days later, on April 9, 1995, the four men armed themselves with knives and waited near the victim’s home. After an initial failed attempt to follow him, they returned later that evening around 8pm. Discovering the house door left ajar, they stormed inside and launched a frenzied knife attack.
The elderly man tried to fight for his life, shouting for help and retreating into a darkened room. However, the attackers chased him down. The nephew reportedly knocked him to the ground, and the group continued stabbing until the victim died on the spot.
Fugitive Caught After 28 Years
Following the brutal killing, the nephew fled the scene and went into hiding under a false identity. He managed to evade capture for nearly 28 years, living in Dongguan, Guangdong province, until police finally arrested him on October 20, 2023.
The court ruled that the nephew and his accomplices had committed intentional homicide, resulting in the death of one man. Although considered an accessory rather than the mastermind, the nephew was still handed a life sentence. Other members of the group had already been prosecuted and punished.
This disturbing case has sparked widespread discussion in China, with many condemning the father’s extreme actions. Commentators noted that family disputes, however bitter, must never cross the line into violence — a tragic reminder that unchecked anger and rigid beliefs can destroy multiple lives.