A man whom everyone thought had been murdered in a hatchet fight ten years ago appeared in his village in Henan, China last week seeking welfare. The assumed killer, Zhao Zuohai, had admitted to the crime and already served 10 years of his 29-year sentence. The Chinese court system must now question whether their methods for obtaining confessions are a bit over the top. Zhao Zuohai, for one, lost pretty much everything when he was forced to make his:
The imprisoned Zhao's brother told the local Dahe Newspaper that police had forced him to drink chili water and set off fireworks over his head to force the confession.
The imprisoned Zhao narrowly escaped being executed for the crime. His sentence was commuted from a death penalty with two years' reprieve.
While in prison, his wife left him for another man and three of his four children were given to other families for adoption, the China Daily said.
