6 lured to die in hanging game

By Li Xinran | 2010-4-21

AN ex-pub singer awaiting prosecution in the central province of Hunan is suspected of coaxing at least six men to hang themselves while playing dominant-submissive sex games.

Zhou Youping, 38, has been referred to prosecutors on murder charges regarding a series of hangings between October and November in Hunan's capital Changsha.

At least six of the cases involved deaths of out-of-town men without the discovery of a death note, suggesting homicide, the Sanxiang City Express reported yesterday.

Zhou was initially targeted by police for booking rooms in two budget hotels in Changsha with a pseudonym where two of the six victims hanged themselves, the newspaper said.

Zhou was arrested in November and confessed to police he was responsible for the deaths of the six he met online.

According to the newspaper, Zhou was a frequent visitor to an online chat room set up for homosexual relationships. He promised cash as well as other rewards for prey and was each time surrounded by myriads of candidates in the chatting room.

Zhou always demanded they be his slaves in hanging games, the report said.

However, Zhou told police that he never thought to fulfill his end of the deal, but just sat aside, watching for enjoyment, and had nothing to do with them before leaving the room.

He said he left them to die out of a strong hatred of their desire for money or other rewards.

However, three men survived Zhou's hanging games.

Zhou discovered that he was homosexual in 1989 when he was studying at a local art school.

He later became a popular pub singer in Changsha and towns nearby but was found guilty of robbing a friend in 2006 and was in jail until August 2008.

From: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2010/201004/20100421/article_434830.htm