Chinese man murders wife, collects insurance money for prostitutes

The case was reported by China's state broadcaster CCTV on its Social and Legal Channel in late November. The man, identified only by his surname Li, was convicted of intentional homicide by the Liaoning Higher People's Court in December 2022. It remains unclear whether the death sentence has been carried out.

According to reports, on May 5, 2021, Li and his 46-year-old wife were traveling on a ferry from Dalian in Liaoning province to Yantai in Shandong province. Li took his wife to a location outside the lifeboat storage area on the ferry. Moments later, she fell into the sea. Her body was recovered after a 45-minute search.

When notified of her death, Li appeared distraught and repeatedly called out his wife's name, Ming
Pao reported.

During police questioning, Li explained that because his wife was short, he had taken her to a spot with a lower fence on the deck to enjoy the view of the sea. He also requested a death certificate, citing a spiritual custom in his hometown that requires cremation within three days of death.

However, police grew suspicious due to inconsistencies in Li's account. The area where his wife fell was a blind spot in the ferry's extensive surveillance system, which had over 200 cameras. Forensic experts also found bruises on her face, raising further doubts about the cause of her death.

While the police issued the requested certificate, they secretly dispatched officers to investigate Li in Shanghai, where he lived, according to the South China Morning Post.

Li ran a restaurant in Shanghai, while his wife worked as a waitress there. She had previously been married twice and had two children before marrying Li in 2020.

Investigations revealed that Li’s family was unaware of his marriage, and it was discovered that Li had been struggling with significant debts to his staff and suppliers.

Furthermore, local residents and restaurant staff reported that they had never seen signs of a romantic relationship between Li and his wife. Instead, the police identified a 19-year-old woman as Li's girlfriend.

Adding to the case, just two weeks after his wife's death, Li was filmed engaging the services of a prostitute in a hotel room arranged by the police, which was captured by surveillance cameras.

The police also uncovered that Li had taken out four life insurance policies for his wife shortly after their marriage, naming himself as the sole beneficiary. If his wife had died in a transport-related accident, the total payout from all four policies would have amounted to 12 million yuan (US$1.65 million).

Li was arrested but continued to deny any involvement in his wife's death. To strengthen the case, police analyzed footage from surveillance cameras further away from the fall site. Forensic experts concluded that the victim had likely been pushed, as the way she fell did not suggest an accidental slip. After enhancing the footage, they identified a black arm, which matched the suit Li was wearing on the day of the incident.

Li was convicted of murder in a first trial in July 2022, and the verdict was upheld on appeal.