A judge sentenced a Chinese national in the U.S. on a green card to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 25 years for using a sushi knife to stab his female victim 200 times before decapitating her.
Jiansen Liang, 34, pleaded guilty on Monday to charges of aggravated murder and corpse abuse for killing Qihong Chen, 33, in a Cleveland, Ohio, suburb in 2017, Cleveland.com reported.
Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Jennifer Driscoll said Liang took a sushi knife from the kitchen and used it to attack Chen, who reportedly invited him over to the apartment.
Driscoll said the two were friends, but Liang was looking for something more than friendship.
The 34-year-old then stabbed Chen hundreds of times before using a meat cleaver to behead her, Driscoll said.
“That takes a lot of force, and a lot of effort,” Driscoll said. “A lot of rage, and a lot of passion.”
Authorities discovered Chen’s body in her Fairview Park apartment, taking note of the blood strewn across the walls inside the residence. Investigators say the blood spatter was evidence Liang chased Chen around the apartment while attacking her.
Police said Liang confessed to the killing in July 2017, reportedly asking officers to take his life. Liang said he had envisioned Chen turning into a monster.
Liang’s attorney said the Chinese national settled in Cleveland but struggled to fit in because he had a low IQ, had bipolar disorder, and had few friends in the area.
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office said Liang would face deportation to China upon completion of his sentence.