Virtue Magazine

In January, 1994, She Xianglin’s wife, Zhang Zaiyu, disappeared after a domestic dispute. Three months later, an unidentifiable woman’s body was discovered in the town’s reservoir, causing a local court to accuse She of killing his wife. He was sentenced to death at his trial in a local court, and appealed to the Hubei Provincial High People’s Court. Because of lack of evidence, however, the High People’s Court changed She’s death sentence to fifteen years in prison. During his imprisonment, She Xianglin repeatedly claimed that he was innocent, but his claims were ignored, and after much interrogation and torture, She allegedly confessed to murdering his wife.

Eleven years later, however, Zhang Zaiyu returned alive with her 10-year-old son to She’s village to visit family, having run away to a different province where she married a local man and started a new family.

With his wife’s appearance, She Xianglin was declared innocent and released from jail. A free man again, She requested to be compensated for his time in prison and also requested that the policemen who mistreated him in prison be held accountable. Jingmen City’s Party Secretary Yuan Liangkuan visited She’s father to apologize, promised to investigate any official misconduct, and assured She’s father that She would be compensated for his time in prison.

Surprisingly, She Xianglin showed no hostility to his wife. He stated that if she would not have returned at all, he could have been wronged for life. She Xianglin plans to move on in his life, though many Chinese want change in the legal system, saying She’s story shows how faulty China’s legal system is, with overzealous police and suspects having no access to lawyers.