Man sentenced to death for killing wife in North China; mother jailed in cover-up

(ECNS) -- The Cangzhou Intermediate People's Court in North China's Hebei Province on Tuesday sentenced Jin Hao to death and stripped him of his political rights for life for killing his wife. His mother, Zhang Jie, was sentenced to two years and two months in prison for helping destroy evidence, according to the first-instance verdict.

Defendant Jin Hao's family. (Photo from his wife's social media account)

According to earlier reports, on August 21, 2025, Liu, the wife, discovered ambiguous messages on Jin's phone allegedly from another woman, leading to a confrontation. During the altercation, Jin later dragged Liu around and repeatedly beat her.

At about 7 a.m. on Aug. 22, Jin reported finding Liu unresponsive and called emergency services. Medical staff and Jin's parents arrived shortly afterward. Prosecutors said his mother, Zhang Jie, then cleaned bloodstained bedsheets and rinsed surveillance equipment in an effort to help her son cover up the crime.

(By Gong Weiwei)