Murder of Zhang Miao

On the night of 20 October 2010, Zhang Miao, a 26-year-old cafe waitress, was riding her bicycle in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China, when she was struck by a car driven by Yao Jiaxin, a 21-year-old pianist studying at the Xi'an Conservatory of Music. Zhang sustained only minor injuries from the collision. When Yao got out of his car, he saw Zhang attempting to memorize his license plate number. Fearing that she would report him or seek financial compensation for the accident, Yao took out a knife and stabbed her eight times in the chest and stomach, killing her. While fleeing the scene, Yao struck two other people in a hit-and-run before being apprehended. Police initially released him due to a lack of evidence and did not connect the two incidents to charge him with murder until 22 October. Yao confessed on 23 October, stating that he believed Zhang, whom he referred to as a "peasant woman," would not be dissuaded from pursuing legal action against him.

Yao was tried at the Xi'an Intermediate People's Court on 23 March 2011. Although his expressed remorse initially suggested he might avoid the death penalty, extensive media coverage and heated online discussion generated significant public pressure for the harshest sentence. Internet participants using "human flesh search engine" methods uncovered that Yao's father held a position as a military representative in Xi'an, which intensified public resentment toward Yao amid perceptions of privilege. A crime psychologist, Li Meijin, drew criticism for comments made on state television suggesting Yao's repeated stabbing motion might be linked to childhood piano practice; she was widely condemned online as an apologist for the defendant. Many also criticized state media coverage of the case as focusing on the murderer without regard for the victim.

The case drew comparisons to the separate "Li Gang incident," which had occurred four days earlier, fueling broader public outrage over perceived preferential treatment of children of the wealthy and well-connected (referred to as "fuerdai") within China's legal system. During the trial, Yao's defense lawyer argued for leniency by describing him as a "model student" with numerous academic awards, a characterization that sparked wider debate about the priorities of the Chinese education system. The case also became a flashpoint in public debate over the abolition of the death penalty in China; an online survey found that 96.5% of respondents believed Yao should be executed.

Yao was found guilty and sentenced to death by the Xi'an Intermediate People's Court on 22 April 2011. His appeal was rejected by the Shaanxi Provincial Higher People's Court on 20 May 2011, and the Supreme People's Court subsequently reviewed and upheld the sentence, stating that "the motive was extremely despicable, the measures extremely cruel and the consequences extremely serious." Yao was executed on 7 June 2011; Chinese authorities did not specify the execution method, though lethal injection was presumed. Public reaction to the execution was mixed, with some viewing it as a check on privilege and others describing Yao as a victim of online mob pressure.