He is the most prolific known serial killer China has seen since the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949.
1968
Yang Xinhai (July 17, 1968 – February 14, 2004), also known as Yang Zhiya, and Yang Liu, was a Chinese serial killer who confessed to committing 67 murders and 23 rapes between 1999 and 2003.
He was sentenced to death and executed.
He was dubbed the "Monster Killer" by the media.
Yang was born on July 17, 1968, in Zhengyang County, Henan.
His family was one of the poorest in their village.
The youngest of four children, Yang was clever and introverted.
1985
He dropped out of school in 1985, at age 17, and refused to return home, instead travelling around China and working as a laborer.
1988
In 1988 and 1991, Yang was sentenced to labor camps for theft in Xi'an, Shaanxi and Shijiazhuang, Hebei.
1996
In 1996, he was sentenced to five years in prison for attempted rape in Zhumadian, Henan and released in 1999.
1999
Yang's killings took place between 1999 and 2003 in the provinces of Anhui, Hebei, Henan and Shandong.
At night, he would enter his victims' homes, and kill all of the occupants—mainly farmers—with axes, hammers, and shovels, sometimes killing entire families.
Each time he wore new clothes and large shoes.
2002
In October 2002, Yang killed a father and a six-year-old girl with a shovel and raped a pregnant woman, who survived the attack with serious head injuries.
2003
Yang was detained on November 3, 2003, after acting suspiciously during a routine police inspection of entertainment venues in Cangzhou, Hebei.
Police took him in for questioning and discovered that he was wanted for murder in four provinces.
2004
Yang was sentenced to death by the Luohe City Intermediate People's Court, Henan, on February 1, 2004.
At the time of his sentencing, official Chinese media believed he had carried out China's longest and grisliest killing spree.
Yang was executed on 14 February 2004 by firing squad.
According to some media reports at the time of his arrest, Yang's motive for the killings was revenge against society as a result of a break up.
Allegedly his girlfriend had left him because of his previous sentences for theft and rape.
Later media reports claimed that his enjoyment of robbery, rape and murder was the motive.
While Yang never formally provided a motive, he was quoted as saying: "'When I killed people I had a desire. This inspired me to kill more. I don't care whether they deserve to live or not. It is none of my concern...I have no desire to be part of society. Society is not my concern.'"
