Five years ago, Chen Sheng Mao stabbed to death Xiu Rong Zheng, a fellow Fujianese woman, in front of a residence on 46th Street and 8th Avenue in Brooklyn. On Wednesday, May 28th, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison in a criminal court in Brooklyn. The prosecution described the incident as a serious case of domestic violence stemming from an extramarital affair. After committing the crime, the suspect fled New York State, eventually being apprehended in Indiana and extradited back to New York for trial.
Chen Sheng Mao, aged 48 and residing on 8th Avenue, was sentenced to 25 years for first-degree manslaughter by Judge Danny Chun. The verdict was issued on the 1st of this month.
According to investigations, the 46-year-old victim, Xiu Rong Zheng, had an extramarital affair with the defendant. After Zheng attempted to end the relationship, Chen began harassing her for a prolonged period, even targeting her husband.
On the night of July 22, 2019, around 10 p.m., Zheng confronted Chen in front of his residence on 8th Avenue and 46th Street. In the confrontation, Chen suddenly attacked her with a knife, stabbing her 35 times, including 5 direct stabs to her heart. At that moment, Chen’s 17-year-old son witnessed the entire assault. Zheng sustained defensive wounds on her hands and arms, indicating a fierce struggle. As she tried to escape, she was stabbed multiple times in the back. Eventually, she staggered down the stairs, collapsing on the sidewalk and later succumbed to her injuries in the hospital.
After the attack, Chen Sheng Mao, wearing a blue T-shirt, walked away from the scene and fled in a black Nissan Quest minivan. Authorities reviewed surveillance footage and license plate recognition data, discovering that the vehicle crossed the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey hours after the incident.
The following day, Indiana Putnam County officer Dwight Simmons pulled over a suspicious vehicle on Interstate 70, which was driving at 60 mph in a 70 mph zone in the left lane, obstructing traffic. The officer input the information of the vehicle into the computer and unexpectedly found that the driver was the wanted Chen Sheng Mao from New York City. He was then arrested and detained, later returned to Brooklyn by the New York City Police Department’s fugitive apprehension team and formally charged with second-degree murder and illegal possession of a weapon.
The trial began in April this year, with the defendant opting for a bench trial, waiving a traditional jury trial. During the week-long trial, the judge heard testimonies from several witnesses. The prosecution also played a recorded conversation between the defendant and his wife after his arrest in Indiana, where he admitted to the crime being a result of emotional distress and expressed readiness for a long prison sentence.
The defense argued that the defendant acted out of emotional turmoil at the time of the incident, not premeditated murder, and lacked evidence of premeditation and motive. The prosecution contended that the defendant had a prior intent to kill, citing his prolonged harassment of Zheng and her husband before the incident, showing his inability to accept the separation. His calm escape after the crime and the severity of the victim’s wounds indicated a clear intent to harm.
Ultimately, the judge determined that the prosecution failed to prove premeditated murder beyond a reasonable doubt. The charge of second-degree murder was not upheld, but the defendant’s actions were deemed far beyond what could be explained by emotional distress, leading to a conviction of first-degree manslaughter.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez issued a statement yesterday, stating, “This is a disturbing case of family violence that originated from a difficult relationship and ended in a brutal murder. After months of harassment, the defendant ambushed the victim in front of her teenage son. I hope that the verdict in this case brings some comfort and justice to the victim’s family.”