Deng Shiping, a school staff member from Hunan Province, went missing in 2003. His case remained unsolved until April 2019, when his family filed a complaint to the central government’s anti-crime team. The police investigation linked Deng’s case to the defendant’s organised crime offences. In July 2019, based on the defendant’s confession, Deng’s remains were found in the school playground and identified through DNA testing. The defendant was identified as the murderer and prosecuted in November 2019. Nineteen public officials were penalised for covering up the murder and protecting the defendant. In December 2019, the Huaihua Intermediate People’s Court convicted Du of intentional homicide and sentenced him to death. After the Supreme People’s Court’s review and approval, Du was executed in January 2020.
The case gained public attention and was closely linked to the ongoing crackdown on organised crime and judicial corruption. It was jointly supervised by the National Anti-Organised Crime Office, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, and the Ministry of Public Security, with the Hunan Provincial Procuratorate providing direct guidance. In January 2020, following the Supreme People’s Court’s approval, Du was executed. The case was recognised as a guiding case in the crackdown on organised crime by national and provincial judicial authorities.
The case reflects a pattern in handling major murder cases during national crackdowns, with close supervision by central judicial authorities to ensure swift investigation, arrest, prosecution, and trial, alongside the harshest punishments to deliver a timely and powerful deterrent. However, this approach limits the presiding court’s independent ruling.