Bio

Chen Zhaofeng was born in 1980 in Mudanjiang, which is a city in Heilongjiang Province, northeastern China. His father was from Shanghai and had moved to Mudanjiang during the Cultural Revolution, a period of significant social and political upheaval in China from 1966 to 1976. Chen was the only child in his family.

In 1995, when Chen was 15 years old, his family moved back to Shanghai. They faced many challenges as they struggled with poverty. At the time, their monthly income was about 300 yuan, which is roughly $36.3. Chen's mother also had health problems, adding to the family's difficulties.

Because of the family's financial situation, Chen dropped out of school in 1995 before finishing junior middle school. To help support his family, he took on various odd jobs. In a desperate move, he even stole cats at night and sold them to dealers. In 1999, he was caught by the police for stealing and was detained for ten days.

Chen wanted to find a stable job, but he felt limited because of his lack of education. He became depressed and began drinking. His life took a darker turn when he started committing crimes in order to survive. On June 2, 2001, he attacked a woman in Putuo District with a beer bottle, marking the beginning of his violent acts.

Chen's early life was shaped by hardships, a lack of opportunities, and his family's struggle with poverty.

Murder Story

On July 11, 2001, Chen Zhaofeng committed his first murder. He attacked Cai Yafei, a woman living near his neighborhood, with a hammer. After the assault, she was found dead the next day. Items worth 7,400 yuan were missing from her possession. Following this, Chen continued his violent spree. He assaulted several more women between June 2001 and January 2002, resulting in injuries and the deaths of two victims, including Cai.

On January 11, 2002, Chen's second murder occurred. He attacked 22-year-old Meng Weiping, also using a hammer. She was discovered dead the next morning. After this attack, Chen robbed another woman, taking belongings valued at over 4,100 yuan. In total, Chen committed seven assaults, garnering items worth 13,000 yuan from these crimes.

Ten days after the attack on Meng, Chen was arrested on January 23, 2002. His actions shocked the community, and he faced severe penalties due to the nature of his crimes. On May 21, 2002, he was sentenced to death for his violent acts.