New trial likely for killer who escaped death term

KUNMING - A murderer who was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for killing two people might face a new trial following an outcry from the public and criticism of his sentence.

The High People's Court of Yunnan province said on Tuesday it will double-check the facts of the case, in which Li Changkui, a 29-year-old farmer, raped an 18-year-old girl and later killed her and her 3-year-old brother in 2009 in a village near Zhaotong city, in Southwest China's Yunnan province.

"We will treat public opinion seriously and handle the case according to the relevant regulations. The court will conduct further studies into this case and then publicize the result," said Tian Chengyou, a spokesman for the court.