Man charged in throat-cutting

A MAN who allegedly cut the throat of his former stepson over a property dispute with his ex-wife was arrested yesterday and charged with murder.

Zhong Changfu, 52, told Minhang District prosecutors that he killed Shen Jie, 28, for revenge because the victim incited his mother to divorce Zhong and drove him out of their laundry.

Zhong said Shen's mother, surnamed Xie, became his third wife in June, 2008. He sold his house in his hometown in Zhejiang Province and bought a laundry in Minhang with the money as part of a marriage agreement with Xie.

"I was angry and had planned to stab all of them three, including Shen's wife," Zhong allegedly told prosecutors.

"I changed my mind and decided to kill only Shen."

On the night of September 5, Zhong came to the laundry with a kitchen knife and a pair of scissors.

Xie lived in the laundry with her son and daughter-in-law. Zhong waited outside until the family went into sleep and then cut the screen window with the scissors and sneaked into the bedroom.

Seeing that Shen was sleeping on his side, Zhong bided his time because it was difficult to kill him in that position, prosecutors were told.

When Shen turned onto his back after about 40 minutes, Zhong allegedly cut his throat.

The victim died quickly as his neck artery was severed.

Prosecutors said Zhong fled the scene and went back to a hotel but was soon caught by police.

Shen's pregnant wife told prosecutors that Zhong called Xie a few days before the knife attack and threatened to kill the whole family.

She said Xie found Zhong was an idler after their marriage and always took money from the laundry for gambling.

They had a dispute over property division during the divorce as they both wanted possession of the laundry.

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