The first thing that comes to mind when talking about "China's most powerful death row inmate" is the main character of the CCTV documentary Speed of Life and Death, Li Hongtao. When he was a child, he was a child prodigy in his hometown, and when he grew up, he was admitted to the Department of Electronics at Zhejiang University. After graduation, he first forged bank notes and cheated the bank of 80,000 yuan in loans. Then he escaped from prison three times and was finally sentenced to death.
Just one day before he was executed, he invented a new type of motor that was successfully tested, and thus was exempted from the death penalty. He then invented a number of patents, including the development of a prison management system, which helped the Kunming First Detention Center to be named among the "20 model guards nationwide".
This legendary life is definitely more exciting than the American blockbuster The Shawshank Redemption.
The prodigy of four miles and eight villages was admitted to Guangzhou University.August 1996, Li Hongtao was born in Huang, Hubei province, to an intellectual family. Because his parents were both cultured, Li Hongtao received a good education from a young age, and since childhood he has been the child of other people's families in the mouths of his neighbors. Subsequently in the college entrance examination, but also to the Zhejiang University Department of Electronics.
On the university campus, he met his first love. Until 1988, the two graduated and were assigned to work at the Kunming Second Resistance Factory. Soon afterward, they tied the knot and became husband and wife.
Maybe most people would envy Li Hongtao this kind of plain and happy life, but Li Hongtao is not willing to spend his life ordinary.
In 1990, Li Hongtao met a female college student and quickly developed a relationship. It didn't last long, and it didn't take long for the fact that he was cheating to be discovered by his wife. On one side is the family, on the other side is the freedom, extremely contradictory Li Hongtao into the abyss of pain.
In order to get out of the dilemma, Li Hongtao chose to start his own business to divert his attention. However, it needs capital to start a business, and the company soon encountered a financial crisis. In order to tide over the difficulties, the unconvinced Li Hongtao actually took the side door, played the mind of the forged bills.
1, the first prisonAfter meticulous preparation, Li Hongtao produced a denomination of 80,000 yuan of notes, and enough to fake the real. He took the note and smoothly exchanged to to 80,000 yuan in cash.
After meticulous preparation, Li Hongtao produced a note with a denomination of 80,000 yuan and enough to fake the real, he took the note smoothly exchanged to the cash.
Because 80,000 yuan is not a complete solution to the problem of funds, so he made another 100,000 yuan denomination of the note. 1994 April 18 this day, just when he again took the note to the bank to apply for the transfer of money, I did not expect to be waiting for a long time public security officers caught on the spot.
Li Hongtao did not show excessive emotional changes after he was arrested, but was somewhat pleased.
It was noon when he arrived at the public security bureau, and he took advantage of the time when the staff went to have lunch to pry open the handcuffs, took off his shoes and walked out calmly.
After they ate, I was handcuffed inside the corridor of the Public Security Bureau. (While they were not paying attention) I first moved my body to a position where they could not see. As a result, they didn't react, didn't even look back, so I knew that I would be able to escape at this time. I took off the handcuffs, took off my shoes, and slowly walked down the stairs and out the front door. --Li Hongtao self-explanatory
Li Hongtao left the Public Security Bureau and did not immediately run away, but instead returned home. He first destroyed all the evidence of counterfeiting and counterfeiting, and then came to a roof not far from his home, watched the police came to his home to search, and left with nothing before moving to flee.
That night, he bought a train ticket from Kunming to Guiyang, six or seven hours after the smooth escape to Guiyang. In Guiyang, he actually hit the idea of stealing a car again.
Near the hotel where he lives, there is a luxury hotel. At night the hotel door often parked an Audi car, which makes Li Hongtao came to the interest. He first squatted in front of the hotel to find out the car owner's travel pattern. Subsequently, went to the hardware store to buy a Audi car key blank.
April 26, 1992 the day , he appeared early in the Audi car next to see the Audi car owner straight up to greet, and took out the key blanks to ask the owner of the car key is this way.
The owner of the Audi enthusiastically and generously took out the car keys and handed them to Li Hongtao in front of his eyes, telling him that this is what the keys look like. This is just a few minutes, Li Hongtao has accurately memorized the Audi car key surface of the bump law, and then successfully produced a simulation of the key.
That night, the sky was raining heavily. Li Hongtao took the homemade key and successfully started the Audi, which he drove aimlessly on the rainy and windy road, not looking like a fugitive at all.
Because of the unfamiliar road conditions, coupled with the weather. Accidentally Li Hongtao even fell into the ditch with a person, fortunately by the passing of the old man on the up, and no serious injury.
Subsequently, he saw a Santana sedan-type police car parked in front of the door when he ate at a local restaurant. Bold over the people Li Hongtao even found a way to sneak away this police car, day and night drive back to Kunming.
Returning to Kunming, he did not hide around, but repeatedly went to his girlfriend's university to find her.
?2, the second prisonJune 19, 1992, the public security organs in Li Hongtao girlfriend to study in the university again captured him. In Kunming City Prison, Li Hongtao gave a full account of his crime of making fake tickets and breaking out of prison to steal a car, making the staff think he had really confessed to the crime.
No one would have guessed that Li Hongtao actually planned and implemented the classic plot of "The Shawshank Redemption" in the shelter, digging a hole to break out of prison.
He combined with two cellmates in the same cell, the use of homemade tools, for several days and finally dug through the cell to the police dormitory tunnels. the night of November 16, 1992, he successfully escaped from the prison.
After escaping from prison, Li Hongtao first ran to the vicinity of Yuantong Mountain in Kunming, and then made a phone call to the person in charge of his case, informing the other party that he had escaped from prison.
I told them I had escaped. They didn't say too much (about it), they just asked where are you, and I said, I'm in Yuantongshan. I'm a person who, when you ask me something, I will answer truthfully. --Li Hongtao's own words
After that, Li Hongtao first took a train to Liuzhou. In Liuzhou he repeated the old story and stole a Peugeot automobile as a substitute.
Until December 8, 1992, Li Hongtao in the repair of the car, the local public security organs as a car thief arrested.
3, the third prisonFebruary 1993, Li Hongtao was Liuzhou police turned over to the Kunming police, again detained in Kunming prison. This time in prison he did not think of escaping, but began to work on his inventions.
At first, he offered to experiment like a correctional officer. Everyone thought he was trying to do something wrong again, but after a while they slowly agreed to his application. Later, a room was gradually freed up for his experiments.
In the "laboratory", Li Hongtao used the knowledge learned in college and work experience, and gradually tried the new "brushless motor" research and development. Although there was a big breakthrough, the motor never turned.
Just then, November 1, 1993 Kunming Intermediate People's Court issued a first instance verdict on Li Hongtao, because of the combination of several crimes, Li Hongtao was sentenced to death. Subsequently, in accordance with the provisions of Li Hongtao was put on death row shackles.
This is the time to really realize that life has been oppressed (sense), to have the price of life, time may be running out. Not that I am afraid of death and so on, not this, (but) I hand this thing is not yet done, I have to think of any way to do this thing well, to reflect it, to reflect the value of this. --Li Hongtao's self-explanation
From death penalty to imprisonment, self-redemptionLi Hongtao, who received the death penalty notice, remained calm. But in his heart, he was anxious that the experiment had come to a head, and he was eager to prove his worth.
In the following days, Li Hongtao continued to devote himself to the research and development of the motor. Prison corrections were touched by him and began to fully support his experiments, helping him buy experimental materials and providing him with maximum support.
December 1993, Li Hongtao's death sentence was approved by a higher court, issued a death sentence execution letter. According to the regulations, the execution must be carried out within seven days of the issuance of the execution letter.
Two days later, the experiment has made great progress, but a critical issue appeared in front of Li Hongtao, how he could not figure out the problem. Kunming City, the first detention center director Sun Eryun learned, immediately invited the Yunnan Provincial Electrical Apparatus Scientific Research Institute experts for his on-site guidance.
The experts' advice to Li Hongtao enlightenment, ideas were opened. Just one day before the impending execution, the new "brushless motor" finally succeeded in turning up.
March 16, 1995, because of the major meritorious performance, Li Hongtao by the Yunnan Provincial High Court changed the sentence to death, suspended execution for two years. In the same year, he invented the "Brushless Electrically Excited Motor", which won the Gold Medal at the Fifth China Patent Invention Expo, and the First Prize for Excellent Invention and Creation in Yunnan Province.
Subsequently, Li Hongtao obtained several commutations of his sentence, and was eventually released in 2009 after 14 years of exemption from the death penalty, regaining his freedom.