Li Shujun, Zhong Jizhong, Li Yanting, Zhang Zhenmin and Yao Yuyou come from Kazuo County in northeastern China's Liaoning Province. In April, 2001, Li Shujun suddenly went bananas when doing the regular prayers taught by the so-called Disciples Sect. Knowing it, four of his town fellows, also followers of the Disciples Sect, insisted on curing him by making prayers and at last killed him because of fatal injuries. As a consequence, the four people, namely Zhong Jizhong, Li Yanting, Zhang Zhenmin and Yao Yuyou, were sentenced to four to ten years in jail respectively. Each of them including Li Shujun himself had to pay for their sins.
It dates back to 1998. In that year Li Shujun, Zhong Jizhong, Zhang Zhenmin and Yao Yuyou joined in the Disciples Sect instigated by Li Yanting. They were told that "making prayers can cure all diseases and always keep them safe." Since then, they have believed in the "God" of Disciples Sect, reciting scriptures and making prayers all day long. Having been completely lost themselves, Li Shujun and other four pagans had sunk ever deeper into the abyss of sufferings.
The tragedy happened on the afternoon of April 11, 2000. When Li Shujun was chanting scripture, all of a sudden, he became as mad as a hatter and began to talk nonsense. Finding her inability to put Li Shujun under control, Li's wife Li Fengmin, who was also a firm believer of Disciples Sect, had to turn to Yao Yuyou for help. Yao Yuyou reached Li’s home together with Zhong Jizhong, Li Yanting and Zhang Zhenmin at dusk, and began making prayers in the hope of helping Li relieve from sufferings. When Li’s illness was alleviated, they went back home, leaving Li Yanting to stay overnight.
On April 12, they returned to Li’s house and went on with the prayer. On seeing it, Li’s brother-in-law Wu Xianrui, who happened to visit Li at 5:00 p.m., threatened that he would call the police, but was stopped by Zhong Jizhong and Yao Yuyou. At the same time, Li Yanting and Zhang Zhenmin carried Li to Zhong Jizhong’s house, laying him on a board and going on with the prayer. However, Li Shujun flared up again, keeping crying and screaming madly. In fear of discovery, Li Yanting put one hand on Li’s chin and the other on his mouth to stop his snarl. In the meantime, Zhong Jizhong put his hands around Li’s throat with Zhang Zhenmin and Yao Yuyou keeping Li on the floor. In spite of this, they had never stopped making prayers.
At 10:00 p.m., they found Li Shujun lying there unmoved. To cover up their sins, Li Yanting suggested moving Li Shujun to Guan’s house, a villager of Wazidian Village in Kundu Yingzi County. Then, Zhang Zhenmin and Li Yanting went back home, leaving Zhong Jizhong and Yao Yuyou to go on with the prayer until they came to realize that Li was dead. After confirming Li’s death, they sent Li’s body home at once.
Li Shujun, 34-year-old, passed away at his early age. Having been crushed by remorse, Li’s wife began to realize that it was the followers of Disciples Sect who killed her husband. In a rage, she went to the police. The autopsy by the forensic identification indicated that throttling marks were seen on Li Shujun’s neck and his thyroid cartilage and throat bone were both fractured. The autopsy concluded that Li Shujun was suffocated to death violently.
On June 15, 2001, the Kazuo County People’s Court of Liaoning sentenced Zhong Jizhong and Li Yanting to ten years imprisonment on the charge of fatal injuries, Zhang Zhenmin and Yao Yuyou four years.
One person died and four people were put into jail, which was the Disciples Sect who instigates people to cure disease by making prayers that exactly caused the tragedy of the five families.
Photos show the body of Li Shujun, who was suffocated to death violently.
