TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A paper artist surnamed Chiang (蔣) has been sentenced to death for killing a convenience store clerk who reminded him to put on a mask in November 2021.
According to an earlier report, when the clerk, surnamed Tsai (蔡), asked Chiang to put on a mask, Chiang left the store in anger. When he returned later with a mask on, he threw the mask at Tsai when he finished shopping and left.
When Chiang returned to the store again, he asked Tsai to come out from behind the counter and stabbed him several times with a sculpting knife. Though Tsai fought back and wrestled the knife from Chiang, he collapsed outside the store.
Witnesses reported the incident to the police. UDN reported that Chiang sat on the side watching Tsai until the police arrived, then kneeled on the ground with his hands raised for the arrest.
Chiang, 41 years old, reportedly claimed during his trial that he had no memory of the incident because he had taken medicine for a mental illness. He was cited as saying he was not clear about what he had done, and only learned that he had killed someone when he reviewed the surveillance camera footage.
Tsai’s family accused Chiang of planning the murder in cold blood, as he had repeatedly returned to the convenience store, changed his outfit, and concealed the knife prior to the stabbing. While he had kneeled and kowtowed before Tsai’s photo during the trial, Tsai’s family said it was only because Tsai’s mother demanded his apology, according to UDN.
Tsai’s family claimed that Chiang had never actively apologized or offered to compensate them.
An unnamed witness was cited as saying Chiang wore an excited expression during the incident. The individual added that when he had approached the clerk to check on his injury, Chiang smiled at him in a way that “would give you chills” and was unlike a normal person’s behavior.
Chiang reportedly had no comment on the surveillance camera footage but believed the witness’ account was biased.
UDN reported that a hospital assessment of Chiang showed he was conscious and lucid during the incident. Though he had turned himself in, the court decided Chiang’s case met the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights definition of “most serious crimes”, considering he showed no remorse and even made comments such as, “Should have stabbed deeper,” and sentenced him to death.