Bio

Zhou Youping was born in 1972 in China. He grew up in a time when China was undergoing significant changes. Information about his early life is limited, but it is known that he eventually moved to Changsha City in Hunan Province. Zhou worked as a singer in a karaoke bar. His job gave him an opportunity to connect with many people.

In September 2009, Zhou began to explore his interests in sadomasochistic sex games. He used a gay website to meet men who were interested in these activities. Zhou put out an advertisement looking for “slaves” who would participate in these games for money. He preferred men from northern China, aged between 23 and 40.

Zhou was aware of the risks associated with erotic asphyxiation, a practice that involves cutting off the supply of oxygen to increase sexual pleasure. He never engaged in the act himself but liked to observe others. Zhou’s relationships with his partners were often transactional, and he sought a certain level of dominance in these interactions.

As he interacted with different men, Zhou experienced feelings of betrayal and deception, which reportedly influenced his actions. His life in Changsha would eventually lead him into serious trouble, changing the course of his future. Zhou’s story is a reminder of the complexities of human behavior and the circumstances that can lead someone down a dark path.

Murder Story

Zhou Youping was a Chinese serial killer who committed his crimes between October 11 and November 26, 2009, in Changsha, Hunan Province. During this time, he hanged six men in different hotels. The victims were found naked and had died from asphyxiation. Zhou targeted men aged 23 to 40, whom he met on a gay website. He advertised for participants in sexual choking games, promising payment.

Zhou used a pseudonym when booking hotel rooms and engaged with the men who responded to his ads. While he claimed to know the risks of erotic asphyxiation, he did not participate in the hanging himself. Instead, he watched the men hang themselves, but he did not release them, causing their deaths by suffocation.

His first known victim was Feng Yu, who Zhou decided to kill after discovering a positive HIV test slip in the man's belongings. Another victim, surnamed Fang, asked Zhou for money right after meeting, which led to Zhou allowing him to choke to death.

Zhou was arrested on November 28, 2009, after police linked him to the murders while investigating a robbery. He confessed to killing the six men. His trial began, and in March 2011, he was sentenced to death for his actions. Initially, he was found guilty of two murders, with the other four charges dropped due to lack of evidence.

The Supreme People's Court upheld the death sentence on August 29, 2014, and Zhou Youping was executed by lethal injection the same day.