Convicted murderer Lee Hung-chi (李宏基), who killed his ex-wife and their six-year-old daughter, was yesterday afternoon executed by shooting in Kaohsiung.
It was the first execution sanctioned by Minister of Justice Tsai Ching-hsiang (蔡清祥) — 46 days since he took office on July 16 — and the first under the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) since she assumed the presidency on May 20, 2016.
Officials said 39-year-old Lee was informed of the Ministry of Justice’s approval to carry out the order earlier in the day before he was taken to the execution ground at Kaohsiung Second Prison, where he was shot in the heart from behind at 3:37pm.
Photo: CNA
In addition to the executioner, the process was watched by prosecutors, a coroner, the prison warden and security guards, Deputy Minister of Justice Chen Ming-tang (陳明堂) said in Taipei.
“Afterward, the body was examined and the coroner made the official announcement certifying Lee’s death at 4:01pm,” Chen said.
Lee and his ex-wife, surnamed Chen (陳), had two daughters. She had filed for a restraining order following domestic violence incidents and later filed for divorce, gaining custody of their two daughters.
On April 16, 2014, Lee waited for his ex-wife at the kindergarten their daughters attended, where he stabbed her to death with a kitchen knife before taking his eldest daughter and driving to the mountains in Hsinchu County.
Lee fed his daughter sleeping pills and then tried to commit suicide by burning charcoal in the car.
They were found unconscious the next day and rushed to a local hospital. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, his daughter died one month later.
Judges rejected an appeal and handed Lee the death sentence, citing his lack of remorse and his vowing in court to complete “unfinished business” and to take revenge on his ex-wife’s family if he were to get out of prison.
Tsai said the ministry assessed the case with the highest prudence and applied the strictest criteria in reviewing and approving the execution warrant.
According to prison officials, when asked for his last words, Lee at first said he did not have any, but later said he felt sorry for his family.
Lee seemed ready to accept his fate and did not eat much of his last meal before requesting to smoke one last cigarette, prison officials said, adding that he walked to the execution ground without the assistance of security personnel.
Members of the Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty held a protest following news of Lee’s execution, saying that it was a step backward for human rights in Taiwan.
Other human rights advocates asked if the government was trying to show the public that it was carrying out justice in the run-up to the Nov. 24 nine-in-one elections, saying that no nation should use the death penalty to score political points.
Carrying out executions would not solve society’s problems, they added.
Additional reporting by Chang Wen-chuan
‘NO SECURITY RISK’: The Railway Bureau reassured the public that the technicians’ activities were limited to technical guidance and did not involve sensitive systems The Railway Bureau yesterday said it had invited eight Chinese technicians to assist with an airport MRT construction project. The bureau issued the confirmation after an Internet user said Chinese nationals had entered the construction zone of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 project. They asked why “individuals from an enemy state” were allowed access to such a major national infrastructure project, which raised serious concerns over Taiwan’s industrial safety, sensitive systems and information security. The bureau’s Northern Region Engineering Branch Office said subcontractor Taiwan Handle Industrial Co (台灣手把工業) of the Taoyuan airport MRT’s “Contract No. CU05 Project A14 Station Civil, MEP &
A US uncrewed surface vessel (USV) encountered multiple Chinese warships during an autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait, US defense company Seasats said in a statement on Wednesday. Seasats announced that a Lightfish USV had completed the first autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait. Over five days, the USV traversed the entire length of the Strait while constantly monitoring surface vessel traffic, the company said. The Lightfish encountered multiple Chinese warships, one of which was a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 056 corvette, it said. The Chinese vessels were operating “well within Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone without transmitting their identity via the
Taiwan is still in the process of assessing the possibility of recruiting workers from Eswatini, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, adding that its goal is to help Eswatini upgrade its vocational training centers. If there are plans to recruit workers from Eswatini, safeguarding national security, protecting public health and ensuring the employment rights of Taiwanese would be prerequisites, Department of West Asian and African Affairs Director-General Yen Chia-liang (顏嘉良) told a news conference. Key considerations would also include filling labor shortages in specific industries, and fostering bilateral professional and technical exchanges, he said. Yen was asked about the progress of labor
The nation’s usually punctual high-speed rail system yesterday was hit by major disruptions after all scheduled services were canceled and replaced with three hourly trains offering only non-reserved seating, affecting more than 200,000 passengers. Preliminary findings indicate the disruption was caused by a faulty power module in a track switch control cabinet, Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) said, adding that as a full system inspection could only be conducted after operations end for the day, a decision on whether normal service would resume today would be announced before the first train departs. During a routine inspection early yesterday, a switch signal abnormality
RSS