Death sentence upheld for Kaohsiung man convicted of killing neighbors

Kaohsiung, Jan. 14 (CNA) The Taiwan High Court Kaohsiung Branch on Wednesday upheld the death sentence of a man convicted of fatally stabbing his upstairs neighbors, whom he believed had repeatedly made excessive noise.

The man, surnamed Wu (吳), was found guilty of two counts of murder and sentenced to death on each count, along with lifelong deprivation of civil rights. The ruling can still be appealed.

In its decision, the court said Wu acted with direct intent to kill, meeting the Constitutional Court's requirement that the death penalty be reserved for "the most serious crimes."

The court cited Wu's trivial motive for the killings and his hostile attitude during the investigation and trial, concluding that his prospects for rehabilitation and resocialization were limited.

According to the court, Wu entered the apartment of his upstairs neighbors on Sept. 15, 2023, and repeatedly stabbed a woman surnamed Tsai (蔡) in the living room in front of her children. He then went into a bedroom and fatally stabbed her husband, surnamed Lo (羅).

Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene.

Wu attempted to flee on a motorcycle, discarding the clothes he wore during the attack along the way, the court said. Police later identified him through surveillance footage and arrested him in Pingtung County.

The court also issued supplementary remarks on the controversy surrounding capital punishment, noting that the Constitutional Court has not ruled the death penalty unconstitutional but has urged judges to exercise caution when imposing it.

It said the standard of "the most serious crimes" serves as a benchmark for judicial assessment and should not be misinterpreted to suggest that killing one or two people would not warrant the death penalty in Taiwan.