Ma Jiajue

Ma Jiajue (马加爵, born May 3, 1981, executed June 17, 2004) was a Chinese student who committed a series of murders at Yunnan University in Kunming, China in February 2004.

Ma, originally from Guangxi province, was a senior majoring in biology at Yunnan University. He killed four of his roommates, Tang Xueke, Shao Ruijie, Yang Kaihong, and Gong Bo, over a dispute stemming from a card game and concerns about their opinion of him. The murders were committed with a hammer and covered up for several days.

After the bodies were discovered, Ma Jiajue fled Kunming. His case became a nationwide manhunt, drawing significant media attention in China. He was eventually apprehended in Sanya, Hainan province, on March 15, 2004.

Following a trial, Ma Jiajue was found guilty of intentional homicide and sentenced to death. The execution was carried out by lethal injection in Kunming on June 17, 2004. The case of Ma Jiajue sparked widespread debate in China regarding social alienation, the pressures faced by students, and the importance of mental health.