Death sentence for killer of 19 in Yunnan village

A Yunnan man who killed his parents after an argument over money, and then slaughtered 17 villagers to avoid discovery, has been sentenced to death.

Yang Qingpei has been sentenced to death for killing 19 people by a court in Qujing City, southwest China’s Yunnan province. [Photo: Yunnan.cn]

27-year-old Yang Qingpei killed his parents last September, after his father refused to give him money to pay off his debts.  To cover his tracks as he fled, he killed his mother and 17 people in his village, including four children and a 72-year-old-woman.

He was detained the next day in the regional capital Kunming, and charged with the mass murder of six families.

Although Yang pleaded guilty, the People's Procuratorate of Qujing City, ruled the crime was too grave, and that he didn't deserve leniency. 

Yang said he would respect the outcome of the court and would not appeal.