17 July 2019 :
Zhang Koukou, who killed three neighbors in revenge for his mother's death, was executed on 17 July 2019 after his death penalty was approved by China's top court.
The Hanzhong Intermediate People's Court, Shaanxi Province, announced the Supreme People's Court's approval of Zhang's death penalty. The death penalty was earlier submitted to the top court for review under Chinese Criminal Procedure Law.
Zhang, 36, was allowed to meet his family members before the execution, which was also supervised by prosecutors.
He was sentenced to death by the intermediate people's court on 8 January. Zhang was convicted of killing Wang Zixin and two of his sons, Wang Zhengjun and Wang Xiaojun, with a knife on Feb 15, 2018.
The Shaanxi High People's Court upheld Zhang's death penalty in April, even though Zhang appealed it on the grounds he disagreed with the original judgment.
Zhang's case attracted public attention after it was reported that he had killed the three in revenge for the death of his mother, who was seriously injured with a stick by Wang Zhengjun during a quarrel in August 1996. The mother later died of the injuries.