Wang Liang

Yang Ning, 24, and Wang Liang, 22, former students in Japan, returned to China soon after the murder made headlines in Japan.

Prosecutors have told the court in Liaoyang, Liaoning province, that the crime was "vicious, its method cruel," adding that the actions of the two "brought about grave consequences."

Prosecutors demanded "severe penalties" for the two, and the court could hand down a death penalty within 15 days, according to sources familiar with the case.

Yang Ning

An alleged accomplice, 24-year-old Wei Wei, a former student at a Japanese-language school in Japan, was tracked down in Japan by the police and is on trial at the Fukuoka District Court.

According to the charges leveled against Wei, the three suspects killed Shinjiro Matsumoto, a 41-year-old clothing dealer, his wife, Chika, 40, their son, Kai, 11, and daughter, Hina, 8, and stole money June 20, 2003.

The bodies of the four were found in Hakata Bay, handcuffed and weighted down with dumbbells.

The Japan Times Weekly: Oct. 30, 2004
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