Man who killed, dismembered his wife sentenced to death

Xu Guoli, a man who killed his wife and dismembered her body, has been sentenced to death for murder by Hangzhou Intermediate People's Court in Zhejiang Province.

The court also ordered Xu to pay the family of the victim 200,000 yuan (US$30,880) in compensation.

Xu and his wife had conflicts over emotional, economic and other issues, causing him to hold a grudge, the court found. He bought knives and cutting devices while planning a murder.

On the night of July 4, 2020, Xu put sleeping pills in his wife's milk and killed her after she fell asleep. He then dismembered the body and disposed of it.

After the crime, Xu claimed his wife was missing in order to avoid investigation, the court heard.

Parts of the victim's tissue were found by the public in the community and  Xu was arrested on July 22 the same year.

The court said in its sentencing on July 26 this year that the crime was extremely serious and cruel.