On the early morning of May 22nd this year, in Fenggang County, Zunyi City, Guizhou Province, a man named Liu killed his 10-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter during the cooling-off period of their divorce. The case was brought to trial in the Fenggang County Court on August 21st.
According to reports from mainland Chinese media, on the early morning of May 22nd, a tragic incident occurred in Fenggang County. Liu, aged 32, made his 10-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter drink pesticide together at home. Both children died, while Liu, after receiving rescue efforts, survived the attempt on his life. When the children’s bodies were found, their faces were bruised, the daughter’s eyes remained open, the son had bruises behind his ears, and the scene was filled with a strong pesticide smell. Pillowcases and bed sheets were torn, the floor was covered in vomit, indicating a struggle before their deaths.
The case was brought to trial in the Fenggang County Court on August 21st.
The children’s uncle, Mr. Huang, stated that they were from Dazhou, Sichuan Province. Their sister met Liu in Fenggang, Zunyi while working in Guangzhou and married him in 2014. In Mr. Huang’s eyes, Liu was not engaged in legitimate work and had borrowed money under the guise of investment and property purchase, resulting in losses. Liu had also been violent towards his sister, leading to conflicts that even involved the police station. “He once knelt down and promised not to harm my sister.”
Mr. Huang mentioned that his sister wanted the children to study in Guizhou, so they returned from Guangdong to Fenggang County in May 2024 and rented a house, with his sister taking a job as a live streamer.
In May of this year, Liu returned to Guizhou. On May 17th, Ms. Huang filed for divorce. That afternoon, Liu tied her up when he returned home, took her ID and phone, and only allowed her to escape the next day. On May 20th, they signed a divorce agreement, entering a 30-day cooling-off period.
On May 21st, Liu suddenly grabbed Ms. Huang’s neck, tied her hands behind her back with a rope, showed her the pesticide, claiming they would die together. She promised to “give up the divorce” to calm him down, escaped, and went to Longquan Police Station in Fenggang County to report the incident. The police did not file a case.
Around 2:03 am on May 22nd, Liu sent a suicide note to the family group, accusing his wife of cheating twice, admitting to hitting her in 2016 but claiming he never did it again, dismissing the bruises on Huang as caused during the struggle. He also privately sent the suicide note to Mr. Huang, asking him to convey the message to his sister, “to bury the children for her.”
Mr. Huang quickly contacted his sister and both families. Over an hour later, Liu’s father called to inform them that the two children had passed away.
Ms. Huang mentioned that Liu had previously threatened to kill the two children. It was understood that Liu bought a total of four bottles of pesticide, claiming to the children that if they drank it, they could find their mother. “He said by drinking this (pesticide), the children will find their mother, but my son is 10 years old and is not ignorant.”
After the incident, some netizens discovered that around 10 pm on the 21st, Liu posted photos and videos on social media of himself and the children dining and playing, with the caption “the final revelry.”
There are discrepancies between Liu’s father and Ms. Huang regarding the explanation for this tragedy. Ms. Huang stated that about two years into their marriage, Liu started gambling and became violent, leading to “irreconcilable conflicts.” Liu’s father, however, stated that some arguments between the couple were “normal marital disputes” and denied his son’s gambling, blaming his daughter-in-law for being “disobedient” when working as a live streamer.
In the afternoon of August 21st, Mr. Huang, Ms. Huang’s brother, informed a reporter from Southern Metropolis Daily that the court held a closed trial to protect the privacy of those involved. “The case will be scheduled for another hearing, and according to the police assessment, Liu was fully responsible for his actions at the time of the crime.” After the incident, they did not meet with Liu’s family again, and both he and his sister hoped for the death penalty for Liu. He denied the allegations of his sister cheating and fabricating evidence of domestic violence, stating, “We have evidence, and we will see what the verdict is.” He also revealed that “Liu showed signs of remorse.”