Zhang Yongming

Zhang Yongming (; 1956 – 10 January 2013) was a Chinese serial killer and cannibal who was convicted of, and subsequently confessed to, the murder of 11 people between March 2008 and April 2012, in what became known as the . He was executed on 10 January 2013.

The case received domestic significant media attention because Zhang had been frequently reported since the first murder, but local authorities failed to investigate. Parents of the missing were the ones to make the disappearances public as the "Bizzare Serial Disappearance Case" ("离奇连环失踪案"). Internationally, media focused on Zhang's claims of selling the flesh of the victims as "ostrich meat" to the public.

Early life and first offences Zhang was a native of Nanmen village, part of Jinning, Kunming. In 1974, at age 18, Zhang attempted to kill his 16-year-old cousin and schoolmate Lu Turong during a sleepover at the Zhang residence. The two had been sleeping in the same bed when Lu awoke at around 4:00 a.m. after Zhang stabbed him in the neck with a kitchen knife. Lu blocked the knife with his hand when it came down again and screamed to alert Zhang's parents, who disarmed their son. Lu survived with eight stab wounds to the neck. Zhang was sentenced to prison, but released after serving six months, based on the explanation that the crime was committed while Zhang was sleepwalking. Lu later stated that the two had previously been on good terms and that there was no prior conflict between him and Zhang.

In 1978, Zhang killed 16-year-old Yang Shurong, with whom he had been paired to burn bricks at the kiln and sell rice for the village's production team. With the promise of 18 yuan, Zhang lured Yang into his home, where he strangled the boy to death. Yang's undressed body was found in a freshly dug hole outside of Nanmen, curled into a fetal position after his limbs were broken. Zhang subsequently fled to neighbouring Chengjiang County, where he was arrested after a half-month investigation identified him as the murderer. In 1979, Jinning Court found Zhang guilty and imposed a death sentence with a two-year reprieve, but for unknown reasons, the sentence was commuted to imprisonment. Zhang was released in September 1997, after serving 19 years. During this time, his parents died, his older siblings moved away and the family home was destroyed when it collapsed in on itself.

Victims Between 2007 and 2012, police confirmed the murder of eleven people, all of them male. With the exception of two older men, all victims were between 12 and 22. Not counting the 1978 case, Zhang was accused of up to 17 murders, which was the number of total disappearances within Nanmen since Zhang's release from prison. He was executed on 10 January 2013.

Twelve police officers were penalized for dereliction of duty regarding the murders, including Da Qiming, Jinning police chief, and Zhao Huiyun, head of the Jincheng Township police station, who were both dismissed from office. The police defended their actions by claiming that the disappearances weren't as high of a priority as the local drug abuse at the time.