Chinese Man Kills Wife For Life Insurance Money

A Chinese man who allegedly killed his wife when vacationing in Phuket, Thailand, so he could cash in on her life insurance policy worth more than 30 million yuan ($4.34 million) has been arrested by the local police. He will probably be extradited to China, Jīnyún Guānzhù, a Tianjin-based newspaper, reports (in Chinese).

The crime took place in a luxury hotel in Phuket near the end of October. On October 27, Zhāng Yìfán, the husband, went on a vacation with his wife, Xiǎojié (pseudonym), and their 20-month-old child despite opposition from Xiaojie’s parents, who thought the child was too young to travel abroad. 

Three days later, the husband’s parents made a call to the victim’s family, saying that Zhang told them Xiaojie accidentally drowned herself in a private swimming pool located in their hotel suite. The wife’s parents immediately called Zhang asking for more details regarding their daughter’s death. 

When they asked specific questions such as whether there were wounds on Xiaojie’s body, Zhang’s noticeable hesitation raised his in-laws’ suspicions. They also told the newspaper that their daughter could swim.

However, after a brief interview with the Thai police, Zhang managed to return to China on October 31 without being charged. After he came back, Xiaojie’s parents discovered some bruises on Zhang’s arms. While Zhang denied having a fight with Xiaojie, the wife’s parents grew even more suspicious.