Prosecutors seek death penalty for Kaohsiung man in dismemberment case

Kaohsiung, May 28 (CNA) Kaohsiung prosecutors on Tuesday sought the death penalty for a man accused of killing and dismembering three women.

The suspect, surnamed Chang (張), was indicted on charges of murder, corpse abandonment and mutilation, theft and unlawful appropriation of property.

After reviewing surveillance footage, questioning witnesses and collecting evidence from his home, prosecutors said the 73-year-old is strongly suspected of committing the crimes.

Prosecutors said the method, circumstances and number of victims met the criteria for the most serious premeditated crimes under Constitutional Court guidelines.

Between November 2024 and February 2025, Chang strangled three women, dismembered their bodies and dumped the remains in a river channel in Kaohsiung's Qianzhen District, prosecutors said.

He also stole one victim's bank card and withdrew NT$5,000 (US$167), and used another victim's senior citizen card to ride the metro and ferry, prosecutors said.

Since his arrest in early February, Chang has denied the crimes and refused to explain his motives, prosecutors said.

The case came to light after a family member reported one of the victims missing. Police identified Chang as a suspect through surveillance footage, and forensic experts later found two additional blood samples in his home.

(By Hung Hsueh-kuang and Wu Kuan-hsien)

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