Family of 4 sentenced to death for killing landlords

A family of four who murdered their landlords - another family of four - was sentenced to death by a court in Qingdao, Shandong province, on Friday.

The Qingdao Intermediate People's Court said the four defendants committed heinous crimes with despicable motives and cruel behavior, causing huge social harm and bringing about panic in the local community.

According to the verdict, 40-year-old Li Zhongji, his 32-year-old wife Li Chenhua, and his adoptive parents Li Zhongzhi and Jin Shanjin, both aged 68, rented an apartment on the sixth floor of a building in Qingdao's Chengyang district in October but failed to pay any rent.