TAIWAN. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR POISONING ENERGY DRINKS WITH CYANIDE

July 11, 2005: Wang Ching-chan, a Taiwan man, was sentenced to death for poisoning energy drinks with cyanide in a botched extortion attempt that left one person dead. Wang, 40, was convicted of "intentional murder" since he was fully aware that cyanide was fatal, said Wang Kuo-tung, a spokesman for Taichung district court. 
"He placed the drinks poisoned with cyanide in convenience stores ... with the intention to kill," the spokesman said.
Police said that in May Wang bought cyanide from a local factory and used it to poison energy drinks which he placed on convenience store shelves, intending to extort money from the drink manufacturer.
He attached labels that said "I am poisonous" to the bottles, but several people who failed to notice or thought the labels were an advertisement drank the beverage.
The victims bought the Bullwild Energy Drinks at different convenience stores in central Taichung city and started to vomit or went into shock immediately after sipping them, the police said.
One died and three others needed hospital treatment.
Wang, who had previously served a 10-year prison sentence for bank robbery, made a tearful confession shown on live television in May after he had been arrested by police at his Taipei County home. (Sources: Agence France Presse, 11/07/2005)