Death penalty for man killing game company head by poison

Xu Yao, the former CEO of Three-Body Universe (Shanghai) Cultural Development Co Ltd, was sentenced to death by the Shanghai First Intermediate People's Court on Friday for the murder of the company's founder, Lin Qi.

The court ruled that Xu intentionally caused the death of Lin through poisoning and as a result, should receive capital punishment and be deprived of political rights for life. Additionally, Xu was given a six-year prison sentence and deprived of political rights for life for poisoning four other employees.

The court's review of evidence revealed that between Dec 14 and 15, 2020, Xu deliberately poisoned Lin by lacing edible items consumed by Lin with toxins, leading to Lin's death on Dec 25. The court also found that between September and December 2020, Xu premeditated poisoning two other colleagues amid workplace disputes by contaminating their office beverages. Two more colleagues were also poisoned from drinking the office beverages.

Xu was arrested on Dec 18, 2020, by public security authorities.

The court's ruling stated that Xu willfully caused the death of one individual through the use of poison, constituting the crime of intentional homicide. Additionally, the court found that Xu poisoned four people and endangered public safety, thereby committing the offense of delivering hazardous substances. As per the law, these crimes warranted cumulative punishments.

Lin, who was 39 at the time of his death, was the founder of the Chinese gaming giant Yoozoo Games. He established Yoozoo in 2009 and was named one of the Best 10 Asian Young Business Leaders by Wealth-X with a net worth of 15 billion yuan ($2.75 billion) in 2015.

The Yoozoo Group, the parent company of Three-Body Universe (Shanghai) Cultural Development Co Ltd, is an entertainment company specializing in game development and distribution. The firm has also expanded into the field of TV and film, with Lin being one of the producers of the TV series The Three-Body Problem.