Deng Shiping, a school staff member from Hunan Province, was reported missing in 2003. His disappearance remained unsolved until April 2019, when family filed a complaint to the central government’s stationed supervision team for the crackdown on organised crime. The police investigation connected Deng’s case with the defendant’s organised offenses. In July 2019, based on the defendant’s confession, Deng's remains were discovered from the school playground and identified through DNA testing. The defendant was identified as the murderer, having killed Deng and concealed his body, and was prosecuted in November 2019. Nineteen public officials were penalised because of their involvement of covering up the murder and acting as Du’s protectors. In December 2019, the Huaihua Intermediate People's Court convicted Du of intentional homicide, among other organised crimes, and sentenced him to death. After the Supreme People's Court's review and approval, Du was executed in January 2020.
The case garnered significant public attention and was closely tied to the ongoing crackdown on organised crime, as well as judicial corruption. As a high-profile case, 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 throughout the proceedings.
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, particularly during a national crackdown—with close supervision by central judicial authorities to ensure “swift investigation, arrest, prosecution, and trial” (快侦快捕快判), alongside the harshest punishments to deliver a timely and powerful deterrent. However, this approach leaves limited room for the presiding court’s independent ruling.