Xinhua News, 2009-07-08
The Wuhan (Hubei Province)Intermediate Court began retrying the capital murder case against Chen Yilong, accused of strangling his mistress to death and attempting to burn her body in February 2006. In July 2006, the same court found Chen guilty of identical charges and sentenced him to death. Over a year later, the Hubei High Court dismissed Chen's appeal and sent the case to the Supreme People's Court for final death penalty approval. The Supreme Court, however, remanded the case for a new trial, citing the facts of the case as unclear and the evidence insufficient. Chen has maintained his innocence throughout the trial and appeal stages and claims his earlier confession to police was forced. His defense lawyer, Wang Wanxiong, famous for his defense of the “Panda Burning Incense” computer virus creators, points to inconsistencies in Chen's confession with the physical evidence and the inadmissibility of other evidence, such as the time of death report's lack of proper certification signatures and seals. Prosecutors did not present any new evidence at the retrial, making it unclear how the Supreme Court might ultimately decide a case it earlier declared as lacking sufficient evidence.
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