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01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 桶，該淺藍色鐵桶裝的亦為同年6月間，陳○○另行拿2包用塑膠袋裝的醫療廢棄物，其一直沒時間代為丟棄，賴○○就向其提議可以裝在鐵桶內順路於前往臺東之沿途棄置，但一方面因7月12日當天沒有去成臺東，另一方面賴○○把鐵桶的蓋子裝錯，故從古坑返回住家時，其發現車內之鐵桶蓋子掀開了，才請家裡的外勞幫忙把蓋子蓋緊，隨後再找己○○ 一起棄置淺藍色裝有醫療廢棄物之鐵桶；警方帶同己○○前往中橫公路找尋時，依己○○指認之地點根本沒有任何發現，嗣後警方為何竟在與其丟棄淺藍色鐵桶距離1、2千公尺遠之處發現裝有賴○○屍體之鐵桶，令人不解；至於該休旅車係因甚為耗油，遂加以出售，並非湮滅證據之舉云云。惟查：㈠本案查獲經過： ⒈藍色鐵桶（內有被害人賴○○屍體；於104年9月26日下午3 時50分許尋獲）部分：被害人賴○○之家屬發覺其自104年7 月12日外出後未返家，去向不明，乃於同年7月14日報警協尋，嗣為警查訪約詢相關人士並調閱相關監視錄影畫面等後，認被告戊○○涉有重嫌，乃於104年9月25日在臺南市○ 鎮區○○000號之3房屋旁之鴿舍內查獲藏匿多時之被告。復而於104年9月26日下午3時50分許，在花蓮縣○○鄉台8線11 9K處路旁駁坎下方草叢內，尋獲裝有賴○○屍體之藍色鐵桶 1個等情，有被害人賴○○之失蹤人口系統—資料報表、受（處）理失蹤人口案件登記表（警卷一第175、176頁）、第四分局偵查報告（偵卷四第21至24頁）、查獲被告戊○○地點之現場照片、空拍照片（他卷二第119頁、第124至126 頁）、查獲藍色鐵桶之現場照片（偵卷三第75至79頁、偵卷四第76至85頁）可憑。 ⒉綠色鐵桶（內有被害人陳○○屍體；於104年10月5日上午11 時20分許尋獲）部分：於104年10月5日上午11時20分許，經正在台8線119.2K路段從事路標清理之人員徐○○，適因清洗機油料用罄熄火��在路旁等候同事前來補充油料之際，發第十七頁

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Yang Hongru (楊鴻儒)

CASE BRIEF

Jurisdiction

Taiwan

Nationalities

Taiwanese

Case Title: Yang Hong-ru (Taiwan Supreme Court Criminal Judgment No. 1276 [114])

Age at Offence: 68

Age Group at Offence: Senior (60 and Above)

Gender: Male

Religious Group at Offence: Unknown

Vulnerable/ Marginalised Group

Person with Disabilities: Mental

Jurisdiction - Geolocation

Latitude: 23.6978

Longitude: 120.9605

Jurisdiction - Geolocation (linked CASE BRIEF): Taiwan

Contributing TRP Partner

Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty (Taiwan)

Latest Country's Death Penalty Status

Retentionist

Case Current Status: Closed: Commuted

Year when sentenced to Death Row: 2010s: 2016

Method of Execution: Not executed

Rights Allegedly Violated

Fair Trial and Due Process: Excessive and disproportionate punishment

Nature of Offences for Death Penalty

Murder: Multiple Victims

Expert Evidence

Forensic/Medical evidence: Autopsy/Post mortem
Forensic/Medical evidence: Blood pattern analysis
Forensic/Medical evidence: Chemistry/Toxicology/Drug analysis
Forensic/Medical evidence: Fingerprint/palmprint/footprint
Mitigation Specialist
Mental Health: Other
Mental Health: Psychiatrist
Mental Health: Psychologist

Case Background (300 words max): Yang Hong-ru was known to both victims, Chen and Lai. He may have harboured murderous intent towards the two men, possibly due to gambling debts or other motives.

Under the pretence of going on a trip or visiting friends, Yang drove away with the victim Chen on the morning of 27 June 2015, and with the victim Lai on the morning of 12 July that same year. On both occasions, during the journey, Yang laced the victims' food and drink with sleeping pills, rendering each of them unconscious. He then placed them head-first, feet-up, into sealed metal drums, where they suffocated to death within the confined spaces.

He transported the drums containing the victims' bodies to a location near the boundary between Nantou and Hualien on Provincial Highway No. 8—the first on the afternoon of 27 June 2015, and the second at midday on 12 July, where he disposed of them by pushing them into a ravine, thereby killing Chen and Lai in succession.

In the first, second, and third trials, as well as the first retrial, the defendant was sentenced to death. This was later commuted to life imprisonment in the second retrial, and that sentence was ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court.

In addition to the psychiatric assessment, a pre-sentencing social investigation was also conducted in this case. A multidisciplinary team was assembled for this purpose, comprising not only psychiatrists and psychologists, but also legal scholars and criminologists.

Defence Arguments (200 words max.)

This case falls under the provisions of the Fair and Speedy Criminal Trials Act, and accordingly, the sentence ought to be reduced to life imprisonment.
Pursuant to Taiwan's parole regulations, given that the defendant is of advanced age, life imprisonment would be sufficient, as the likelihood of the defendant reoffending upon release from prison is considered low.

Judgement with Headnotes (200 words max)

This case has been pending before the first-instance trial since December 2015. By the time the Supreme Court remanded it for retrial in September 2023, approximately seven years and nine months had elapsed. According to the terms of the remand order, certain matters remained to be subjected to forensic examination and witnesses to be questioned, requiring further investigation and clarification. Upon completion of the court's investigation and pronouncement of the judgment in the second retrial appeal, more than eight years would have passed. Accordingly, there exist grounds under Article 7 of the Fair and Speedy Criminal Trials warranting mitigation of punishment (where a death sentence is mitigated, the punishment shall be life imprisonment).
Consideration should be given to whether, even in the event that an elderly prisoner may become eligible for parole release following prolonged execution of sentence, the risk of reoffending diminishes due to advanced age.

Legal Representation Received

Second Appeal: Private
Remand: Private
Forth Appeal: Private
Trial: State Legal Aid
Appeal: State Legal Aid
Pre-trial: Unknown

Legislation Related to the Offence(s): Article 271(1) of the Criminal Code: A person who takes the life of another shall be sentenced to death or life imprisonment or imprisonment for not less than ten years.

Case Brief Entry Status: Complete

Language of Case Materials

Mandarin (Traditional)

Is the case brief featured?: Yes

Primary Documents

【楊鴻儒】最高法院114年度台上字第1276號刑事判決.pdf
Other
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【楊鴻儒】臺灣高等法院臺中分院112年度上重更二字第4號刑事判決.pdf
Other
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Death Penalty Defence - Asia

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Yang Hongru (楊鴻儒)

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