Qi Mouping was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, and the deprivation of political rights for life.
The trial of an 18-year-old girl from Zhongshan who killed her parents and dismembered their bodies concluded yesterday. The defendant, Qi Mouping, received a sentence of "death with reprieve." The Intermediate People's Court of Zhongshan rejected Qi Mouping's defense that "her parents had agreed to commit suicide together," but stated that her "criminal motive wasn't particularly heinous," warranting some leniency in sentencing.
After the brief announcement of the verdict, Qi Mouping calmly expressed her acceptance of the judgment, saying, "I don't want to appear weak in court."
Text by reporter Xiao Cheng, correspondent Li Zhijin
Photos by reporter Yu Tao
Parents Did Not Agree to Commit Suicide Together
This case was complex, once sparking many speculations and controversies. The Intermediate People's Court of Zhongshan finally clarified the truth. Regarding the motive for the crime, the court found that in 2007, Qi Mouping's father, Qi Moufeng, suffered a cerebral thrombosis. He could no longer work, and the cost of treatment caused financial difficulties for the family. Qi Mouping's mother, Li Muxiang, frequently argued with Qi Moufeng as a result.
In late July 2009, after returning from Beijing where he had been treated, Qi Moufeng showed no improvement. "Unable to endure her parents' frequent arguments and feeling despair about life, Qi Mouping conceived the idea of killing her parents," the court stated in its ruling.
During the first trial in May this year at the Intermediate People's Court of Zhongshan, when asked about the motive for the murders, Qi Mouping said that after her parents took medication, they began vomiting and convulsing, and she acted "to help them." She also explained why she changed her testimony, stating that she had previously wished for death, believing that emphasizing certain points would lead to a death sentence. Later, however, hope for life rekindled within her, so she decided to tell the truth.
Her defense lawyer also argued that at the time of the crime, the victims did not call for help, suggesting that they might have been unconscious or even had suicidal thoughts.
Qi Mouping's statements in court drew significant attention from the court, which conducted further investigations. Despite the initial hearing being held in May, the final verdict was only announced at the end of the year.
However, this defense was ultimately not accepted. The court determined that Qi Mouping's parents did not engage in a mutual agreement to commit suicide, as no traces of sleeping pills were found during the police forensic examination. The court also noted that the two victims resisted, albeit ineffectively. Both victims had their heads covered with plastic bags, their necks strangled, preventing them from calling for help.
The court reasoned that according to medical expense details provided by Zhongshan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital and Zhongshan People's Hospital, Qi Mouping had obtained drugs such as "zolpidem tartrate tablets" and "alprazolam tablets" under the names "Deng Xianmei" and "Ye Zijun." Both drugs have sedative effects.
However, upon testing liver tissues, stomach wall tissues, and bladder washings extracted from the two victims, the police found no traces of alprazolam or zolpidem in one of the bladder wash samples, indicating that one of the victims did not take any sleeping pills. Combined with Qi Mouping's confession in court that the victims normally took sleeping pills several days before the incident and even went dancing together on the night of the incident, it is clear that there was no mutual agreement between the victims to commit suicide by taking medication.
The Motive Wasn't Particularly Heinous
After dismissing the claim of mutual suicide, the court adopted the lawyer's defense that "Qi Mouping's motive for killing was to relieve her parents' suffering, and it wasn't particularly heinous." The court stated that the two victims often argued over trivial matters. After reaching adulthood, Qi Mouping misinterpreted her parents' actions and handled the situation in an extreme manner, resulting in extremely serious consequences and using exceptionally cruel means. While she deserved severe punishment, given that the incident was indeed related to the family difficulties Qi Mouping faced, the defense opinion regarding the criminal motive not being particularly heinous was accepted.
The court also noted that after her arrest, Qi Mouping confessed her crimes openly, although she did offer mitigating defenses in court, her overall attitude towards confessing was good. Prior to committing the crime, Qi Mouping had always behaved well, and after the crime, relatives of the victims wrote letters to the court pleading for leniency, showing understanding for Qi Mouping's actions. These circumstances were confirmed to be true and can be considered as grounds for leniency for Qi Mouping.
The court ultimately ruled that Qi Mouping was guilty of intentional homicide, sentencing her to death with a two-year reprieve, and the deprivation of political rights for life.
Unwilling to Show Vulnerability in Court
After the verdict was announced, Qi Mouping stated that she would not appeal. Additionally, Qi Mouping wrote a note expressing her feelings, thanking the government for giving her another chance at life. Since the incident, Qi Mouping has remained calm and composed. Yesterday, she admitted that she did not wish to display her vulnerable side in court or in public. However, during her detention in the holding facility, she often cried alone at night, saying, "I was too harsh on my parents."
Outside the courtroom, the judge consoled her, encouraging her to reform herself and look forward to future life. Upon hearing these words, she couldn't help but shed tears.
Qi Mouping's uncle from Henan Province told reporters that the family was very satisfied with the outcome. "Although some family members still cannot forgive her, everyone hopes she survives because she is still young."