Man Stages His Own Last Rites To Dodge Jail, Ends Up Behind Bars

China: A man in China staged his own death and even held his own funeral to avoid going to jail. The police investigation revealed the truth, and he was later caught and punished for his crimes.

Where did the incident happen?

According to a report by the South China Morning Post, the incident took place in Anyang City in China’s Henan Province. 

What was the incident?

A man named Xi staged his own death and even conducted a funeral to avoid police arrest. But police investigation revealed many shortcomings in his story, which led to his arrest. 

Why did he fake his death?

Under Chinese law, drunk driving is considered dangerous driving. It can result in cancellation of a driving license, one to six months in prison, and a fine. Xi feared that if he went to jail, his heavy debts and previous cases would completely ruin his life. So he came up with a plan to prove that he was dead.

How did he stage his funeral?

Xi took the help of his family to make sure everyone believed his death. In June last year, he purchased a coffin in advance. He then spread empty medicine bottles around his house to make it appear that he had died by overdosing. He even tried to make himself appear dead by holding his breath and used equipment to lower his body temperature. 

How did his family help him?

His family claimed that his face got disfigured due to medicines, so they covered his face with a sheet. No one was allowed to see his face.

Xi's grandmother and mother completed the funeral before evening, while he fled to Yunnan Province in southwestern China, where he began searching for jobs under a new name.

How did the police catch him?

The Police got the information about the funeral after the coffin had been buried, so the body could not be examined. But they found the whole incident suspicious. The Police could not find any hospital death certificate, official record of the cremation or burial, or any government documents recording his death.
None of the villagers or relatives saw the body. This increased their suspicion. While examining the CCTV footage, bank transactions and mobile phone records, it was clear that Xi was alive and was hiding somewhere. After that, a search was launched, and Xi was arrested in Yunnan in April.

What punishment did Xi get?

Xi was sentenced to five months in prison, and a fine of 20,000 yuan (approx. Rs 2,80,000) was imposed on him. Also, criminal proceedings were initiated against his mother and grandmother for hiding him.

What was the reaction of people?

When the case came to light, Xi's story quickly went viral on Chinese social media and got the viewership of more than 10 million people. The government prosecutor investigating the case said that staging your own death to escape the law cannot save a person but instead may result in additional criminal charges.