[3] Zhang Koukou has been executed. Father: I will never take his ashes.

5. The Supreme People's Court, in reviewing the death penalty case of defendant Zhang Koukou for intentional homicide and intentional destruction of property, recently approved the death penalty in accordance with the law. The Intermediate People's Court of Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province, announced and served the Supreme People's Court's criminal ruling to Zhang Koukou.6. On the morning of July 17, 2019, in accordance with the death penalty execution order signed by the President of the Supreme People's Court, Zhang Koukou was executed. 。(This news comes from Chang'an Street Knowledge)

(Zhang Koukou)

　　Villagers witnessed the entire process of Zhang Koukou committing murder.

On February 15, 2018, which was also the New Year's Eve of that year, there was a custom of ancestor worship in Wangping Village, Xinji Town, Nanzheng District, Hanzhong City, southwestern Shaanxi. At the time of the incident, the Wang brothers were returning from ancestor worship when Zhang Koukou suddenly ran over with a pre-prepared knife and firstslashed the neck of the third Wang brother.The third brother, with his neck slashed, staggered a few steps and then fell face down to the ground. After that, Zhang stabbed the eldest Wang brother in the side. The eldest Wang brother, injured, rolled into a nearby dry ditch. Zhang Koukou immediately jumped into the ditch and stabbed him several times in the abdomen. The eldest Wang brother died on the spot in the ditch.

(Zhang Koukou identifies the crime scene)

After Zhang Koukou came out of the ditch, he turned back to the third son of the Wang family and stabbed him more than ten or twenty times. Why did he stab him so many times? Probably because Zhang Koukou's mother was beaten to death by the third son of the Wang family with a wooden stick years ago.

According to villagers, when they later went to carry the third son of the Wang family, his neck was almost severed.

After stabbing the third son repeatedly, Zhang Koukou walked along the road to Wang Zixin's old house. Wang Zixin was preparing the New Year's Eve dinner. Zhang Koukou first stabbed Wang Zixin in the neck, then stabbed him in the stomach, and Wang Zixin was killed in his own home.

After killing three people in a row, Zhang Koukou still felt unsatisfied and set fire to the Wang family's car.

　　Twenty-two years ago, his mother was killed, planting the seed of hatred in Zhang Koukou's heart.

On August 27, 1996, Wang Xiuping (Zhang Koukou's mother) got into a conflict with her neighbor Wang Zixin's eldest son Wang Zhengjun and second son Wang Fujun over a trivial matter. The two sides had a fierce quarrel and scuffle. During the scuffle, Wang Zhengjun (Wang Zixin's third son) picked up a wooden stick and struck Wang Xiuping hard on the head, causing severe injuries that led to her death.

At that time, a forensic doctor came to the village to examine the body. 13-year-old Zhang Koukou and his sister Zhang Libo watched from the side. A villager recalled, "The forensic doctor cut open her scalp and sawed open her skull. That image gave me nightmares for a month." Perhaps because of this, Zhang Koukou always remembered his mother's death as tragic.

But at that time, Wang Zhengjun, the third son of the Wang family, was not yet 18 years old and had a good attitude in admitting guilt. The court sentenced Wang Zhengjun to seven years in prison for intentional injury causing death.

　　后来According to Zhang Koukou's sister Zhang Libo, "Actually, we had objections to the third son Wang Zhengjun being sentenced to seven years. The wooden stick was wielded by the second son Wang Fujun, but in the end, the 17-year-old third son took the blame.""Moreover, although he was sentenced to seven years, he only served three and a half years in prison. This was a harm to our family." Zhang Furu (Zhang Koukou's father) said that at the time, the family was too poor to afford a lawyer, so the matter was left unresolved.

(Zhang Koukou's father Zhang Furu)

On February 17, 2018, at around 7 a.m. on the second day of the Chinese New Year, Zhang Koukou turned himself in at the court. On February 23, he met with his lawyer for the first time, with the conversation lasting from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., a full five hours. When discussing the case from 22 years ago, in which his mother died after being severely beaten, Zhang Koukou repeatedly covered his face and wept. Over those 22 years, the Wang family never apologized to his family, deepening his resentment. Every time he thought of his mother's tragic death, his desire for revenge grew stronger.

In the description of Zhang Koukou's friend,Zhang Koukou joined the army to avenge his mother, even refusing to get married.

During his time in the military, the unit leaders asked them why they joined the army. Others said things like serving the country,but he said he joined the army to avenge his mother, explaining that military service could build up his body.He even had a girlfriend for several years, but because his mind was solely on revenge and he was unwilling to marry, they eventually broke up.

On July 17, 2019, Zhang Koukous execution was carried out, bringing an end to a 23-year-long feud. Before the execution, apart from his father Zhang Furu, none of his other relatives came to see him for the last time. Zhang Koukous calmly said to his father, "Dad, it's okay."

To this day, Zhang Koukous body has been cremated, and his ashes remain at the crematorium. Zhang Furu said, "The crematorium asked me to take the urn back, but I refused. This is a wrongful case, and I am not convinced. I will never take it, as a sign of protest."

　　A lawyer from Guangdong Zhiming Law Firm stated that the Zhang Koukous murder case leaves us with much to ponder.

　　Why, even today, is retributive justice and private revenge still considered righteous?Perhaps no one except Zhang Koukous himself could have foreseen that greater harm to both families would erupt 22 years later. Faced with this tragic outcome, some even praise Zhang Koukous, calling his violent acts "chivalrous deeds."

　　Why has the authority of the law never been established in people's hearts?The development of the internet has virtually given everyone a "microphone," allowing the public to broadcast their thoughts at any time. However, many netizens' comments are based on a limited understanding of the law, making it inevitable that their remarks on hot legal issues are somewhat "biased."

Therefore, it is particularly important for professional legal experts handling cases to provide timely legal knowledge. Only when the law is disseminated in a timely manner can the awareness of the law and the habit of seeking legal solutions to problems gradually take root in people's minds.

　　Why is psychological counseling for victims and their families often overlooked?For Zhang Koukou, he was a victim 22 years ago. Witnessing his mother's murder at a young age caused him significant psychological trauma. Due to a lack of external psychological guidance, he was never able to let go of his inner hatred.

　　Why do people often take risks with a sense of侥幸 (wishful thinking)?What is lamentable is that when Zhang Koukou repeatedly mentioned to relatives and friends his plan to avenge his mother, no one truly believed him, and no preventive measures were taken. This undoubtedly contributed to the tragedy.