Qian Yongchang

Qian Yongchang (; 1936–1995) was a Chinese serial killer who killed 15 people from 1959 to 1995 across three provinces, out of a self-professed contempt for how society had treated him. At the time of his arrest, Qian's advanced age led to him being labeled the country's oldest active serial killer, as well as one of the longest active, with his killing spree lasting more than three decades and a half. For his last crimes, he was convicted, sentenced to death and executed.

Early life Qian Yongchan was born in 1936, in Banqiao Town, Shilin Yi Autonomous County. The only child of poor farmers, he dropped out of school early as he had no interest in studying and instead started working odd jobs to support his family. During this time, he also began committing petty thefts. In 1958, he was hired to work as a laborer in the construction of the Guikun Railway in Xuanwei, and while working there, he was regarded positively by his colleagues. Owing to his eloquent speech and easygoing personality, Qian attracted the attention of several women, including the wife of the contractor, with whom he began an affair. The following month, he robbed and killed a merchant who was selling mushrooms in Guiyang, Guizhou. While he managed to avoid arrest in either of these cases, Qian would nevertheless be arrested on charges of being a counter-revolutionary and interned at the Ludong Coal Mine in Qujing, where he would remain from 1974 to 1983. Shortly before his scheduled release, he escaped and remained a fugitive for a short time before being arrested for fraud and imprisoned the following year. He was then sent to the Ying Coal Mine, where he was interned until 2 January 1994. Upon his release, he returned to his hometown.

Arrest, trial, and execution After a rigorous investigation by the authorities, they were eventually given some details regarding their suspect: according to witness testimonies, he was supposedly surnamed Qian, had served time in labor camps under the name "Qian Guan", appeared to be in his 50s and had a distinctive mole under his nose. Utilizing this description, the investigators distributed the description to the staff of all major hotels, guesthouses and similar establishments in the Yunnan and Guangxi areas.

Eventually, the investigators received a tip from a hotel attendant on 27 October, in which the man claimed to have seen Qian boarding a minibus bound from Luxi City to Qujing. A team of police officers was dispatched to intercept the vehicle, resulting in the swift of arrest and extradition of Qian to the nearest police station. During the subsequent interrogation, when he was pressed for a motive, he stated that he wanted to take revenge on the society which he claimed had failed him, saying that he was alone in this world, as well as the fact that never wanted to go back to jail ever again.

Due to the severity of his crimes, Qian was quickly tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. When his verdict was read out in the court, he said that he felt no remorse for what he had done and said the following: "I killed people everywhere just to be shot. I don't care at all." Soon after, Qian would be executed, but his exact date of execution is unknown.