Man sentenced for burying mother alive

A man charged with burying his mother alive in May was sentenced to 12 years in prison for intentional homicide during his first trial in a local court on Monday in Jingbian county, Shaanxi province.

The man, surnamed Ma, did not say in court whether he would appeal.

According to Shandong Business Daily, the man's mother, Wang, 79, died in September. Her death was confirmed by a community worker in her neighborhood, who said the elderly woman had not been well for some time. The report cited Jiupai News.

In May, the 58-year-old Ma loaded his mother on a handcart and buried her in an abandoned grave, according to the local public security bureau.

The case was reported to the police by Ma's wife, surnamed Zhang, three days after Wang disappeared. Ma was then detained by the police.

The mother was rescued alive by the police nearly 70 hours after she was placed in the grave and covered loosely with earth about 2 meters deep. She was sent to the hospital immediately.

The police told media that Wang had been living with the suspect since last year. Ma said he felt psychological pressure because his mother was unable to take care of herself and was often incontinent.

After she was rescued, the mother expressed no worries about herself but feared that her son would receive a heavy sentence.