The Chiayi District Prosecutors' Office announced yesterday that Chen Jui-chin (陳瑞欽), who earlier had admitted to murdering four family members for their insurance benefits, has now admitted to murdering his second wife Wang Shu-ying (王淑嬰) as well.
Prosecutors said Chen made a statement describing how he beat Wang to death with a wooden rod and then faked a car accident in order to get NT$8 million from her insurance policy.
Prosecutors said the key to getting Chen's confession was testimony from a secret witness.
"It was all about money. Chen brutally murdered five people, even though they were his son, two stepsons and two wives, for insurance money," said Chiayi Prosecutor Wang Cheng-chuan (王成全).
Chen was arrested in Chiayi on May 22 in connection with the May 11 murder his friend Chen Yi-ling (
Chen reportedly confessed to prosecutors that he had killed the woman after an argument over his financial problems.
During their investigation into Chen Yi-ling's murder, Nantou prosecutors discovered that five members of the Chiayi resident's extended family had died in what appeared to be an unusual string of accidents over a 13-year period and that he had received an estimated NT$22 million from their life insurance policies.
Chiayi prosecutors then opened their own investigation into the five deaths.
Nantou prosecutors announced on May 29 that Chen Jui-chin had admitted on May 28 to murdering four of his relations.
They said that he insisted he had had nothing to do with Wang's death in 1996.
Prosecutors said Chen Jui-chin had purchased life insurance polices on all five relatives without their authorization and that he had been the sole beneficiary of all of the policies.
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