A Chinese couple has been executed for murdering the man's two children from his previous marriage in a bid to clear the way for the couple to start a new family together. The motivation behind the horrific act was reportedly rooted in the father's belief that his new girlfriend considered the children a "burden on their future together."
Father Zhang Bo and his girlfriend Ye Chengchen were sentenced to death in 2021 for their involvement in the fatal falls of the man's two children from the 15th floor of a residential tower in southwest China's Chongqing, in a case that left the country shocked, according to a China Daily report.
Death Sentence for Heinous Crime
Zhang Bo and his girlfriend Ye Chengchen were reportedly executed by lethal injection on Wednesday after China's top court approved their death sentences. Zhang was convicted of throwing his two children out of a high-rise apartment window from the 15th floor of a residential tower in southwest China's Chongqing in 2020.
Ye was also convicted, with the court determining that she compelled Zhang to kill the young children, aged two and one, as she saw them as an "obstacle." Ye allegedly helped in staging their deaths to appear as an "accidental" fall.
After committing the heinous crimes, Zhang Bo ran downstairs to appear grief-stricken at what had just happened.
The report indicates that Zhang Bo was filmed banging his head on the wall and crying uncontrollably, and prosecutors claimed that this behavior was a deceptive act.
During the initial investigation, Zhang Bo claimed that he was asleep when the children fell out of the window. He claimed that he was awakened by people shouting downstairs after discovering the bodies on a grass lawn.
The little girl died instantly, and the baby boy succumbed to his injuries shortly afterward.
No Mercy
The children's mother, Chen Meilin, told local media that despite the joint custody arrangement—where she took care of the girl and Zhang took care of the boy—Zhang requested to look after his daughter on the day he killed both children.
According to Chen, the tragic event unfolded when Zhang's girlfriend, Ye, slit her wrists during a video call. Zhang, frightened by the situation, then allegedly killed his children.
"The phone was dropped, he picked up the two children, and threw them from the balcony."
According to local media reports, Zhang Bo, admitted to plotting with his girlfriend to kill the children as they planned to start a new family without any children from Zhang's previous marriage.
The suspect's ex-wife, Chen said, "The moment I heard my kids were actually thrown out of the 15th-floor by their father and the mistress, I couldn't find any words to describe my feelings.
"I couldn't imagine what my kids had experienced from the 15th floor to the ground. Were they desperate? Were they afraid?"
Chen claimed that Zhang Bo, cried in court and apologized for his actions. In contrast, his girlfriend, Ye Chengchen, reportedly denied the accusations against her multiple times during the legal proceedings.
