The criminal Zhang later hid in the Digong Temple to hide the murder knife and stolen goods. The police chased him all the way to his residence in New Taipei City and arrested him.

(file photo)

[Reporter Zheng Shuting/Taoyuan Report] Zhang Jinwei, a 42-year-old man from New Taipei City, went to a house on Dalin Road, Taoyuan District, Taoyuan City in March 2021 to burglarize. Man Lin was stabbed to death with a kitchen knife; the Taoyuan District Prosecutor’s Office prosecuted him for robbery homicide and sought life imprisonment, but the Taoyuan District Court’s collegial panel found that there was no intentional homicide and sentenced him to 14 years in prison for the crime of robbery causing death, which can be appealed.

Zhang Nan has a history of guns and fraud. On March 26, 2021, he randomly searched for targets in Taoyuan District. He saw Lin Nan riding a motorcycle on Dalin Road. The electric iron rolling door of his house had not been completely closed. When Lin Nan's parents were still watching TV in the living room, they broke into the house and burglarized.

Before stealing, Zhang Nan first went to the kitchen to take the pointed kitchen knife and scissors for self-defense, and then went to the room on the third floor to plunder the belongings. Lin Nan, who was returning home, bumped into him and shouted to stop. The two had a physical conflict. Zhang Nan broke free and fled. The man chased him outside the house with a broom. Zhang Nan was caught by Lin Nan, who was stronger than him, and couldn't escape. He suddenly took out a kitchen knife and stabbed Lin Nan's left chest and escaped. Lin Nan was injured and fell to the ground within a few steps of the chase. He died, with wounds as deep as 20 to 22 centimeters. Zhang Nan was arrested at his residence in New Taipei City the next day. The murder knife and stolen goods were found in the Digong Temple where he had been hiding.

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During the interrogation, Zhang Nan only confessed that he committed aggravated theft and aggravated quasi-robbery crimes. During the court hearing, he retracted his confession that the case only constituted the crime of aggravated attempted theft. The collegiate panel considered Zhang Nan’s defense based on the physical evidence at the scene and the testimony of witnesses. The words are not good enough, but I also think that he stabbed Lin Nan with a knife, mainly for escape, and had no intention of killing, but it should be foreseeable that he stabbed a human chest with a knife, which is enough to cause damage to important organs and death from excessive blood loss. Leading to the conclusion of capital crime; Zhang Nan's defender also defended Zhang Nan on the grounds of mental illness, which was not suitable for commutation of criminal responsibility after appraisal.

The collegial panel judged that Zhang Nan was in his prime of life, and he didn't want to earn property in the right way. After the theft was discovered, he stabbed Lin Nan's chest with a knife in order to get rid of the rabbit and protect the stolen property, and he denied it after committing the crime. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison for causing death.

Zhang Nan was wearing a peaked cap, a mask, and carrying a paper bag containing cross-dressing clothes before the incident, and randomly searched for targets in Taoyuan District.

(file photo)