Crewman may face A Chinese fisherman could face the death penalty for allegedly killing the captain and first mate during a one-man uprising aboard his ship.
death in knifings
Witnesses on a Chinese ship
say he threatened the crew with
knives after stabbing 2 peopleBy Rod Antone
rantone@starbulletin.comIn a criminal complaint filed yesterday in federal court, the U.S. attorney's office charged 21-year-old Shi Lei of the People's Republic of China with taking control of a boat by force after killing both men.
According to federal prosecutors and the Coast Guard, Lei, the ship's cook, took control of the Full Means 2 on March 14 by threatening the crew with knives, and ordered them to throw the captain's body overboard and for the ship to travel "west."
Two days later, after the first mate died of his injuries, the crew regained control of the ship and decided to travel to Hawaii for help, according to the complaint.
U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo Jr. said the ordeal began with an argument between Lei and the ship's captain, Chen Chung She, during which Lei indicated that he wanted to return to China. During the argument the captain allegedly struck Lei.
"Later that evening, another argument broke out between the captain, the defendant and the first mate of the ship," said Kubo.
"Witnesses have identified the defendant as being the person who was seen leaving the bridge area at the time they saw the first mate and the captain bleeding.
According to the complaint, the ship's second mate found both victims and also saw Lei holding a bloody knife.
Though the captain was said to have died immediately, the first mate was still alive and managed to tell the second mate that "Shi Lei had killed me."
The first mate continued to identify Lei as the murderer to several other crew members until he died of his injuries approximately 12 hours later, the complaint said.
After overpowering Lei, the ship's crew decided to head toward U.S. territorial waters. On Monday, Norton Lilly International Co. notified the Coast Guard that FFC Fishery Co. Ltd. of Taiwan had lost contact with its ship for three days and that it may have been hijacked.
Later that day, a U.S. Coast Guard C-130 aircraft spotted the Full Means 2 approximately 180 nautical miles south-southeast of Hilo.
A Coast Guard cutter was sent the next day to intercept the ship.
While the ship was heading toward the Big Island, two crew members jumped ship and were picked up by the Coast Guard, officials said.
According to the complaint, one of the crew members had a letter signed by 27 of the crew members that stated that they had a murderer on board their ship who was tied up, and requested assistance with the body of the first mate, which was being stored in the ship's freezer.
On Wednesday, FBI agents boarded the Full Means 2 and found the body of Li Da Feng in the freezer. The criminal complaint describes Feng's body as having stab wounds to his chest, lower back and one of his feet as well as "defensive" wounds to his right wrist.
The Honolulu Medical Examiner's office is expected to have more details of Feng's cause of death. Kubo said federal prosecutors have not decided whether to pursue the death penalty against Lei. He also faces life imprisonment if convicted.
Kubo declined to say what the position of the Taiwanese or Chinese governments were with regard to this case.
He said that by the ship voluntarily entering U.S. waters, the case falls under federal jurisdiction. Lei is expected to appear today before a federal magistrate. Coast Guard officials said they have not nor do they plan to search for the body of the captain.