Famous Chinese crime victim becomes subject of conspiracy theories after revealing new family
- Lin Shengbin had become a symbol of national sympathy after his family died in a fire
- But people began spreading rumours about the blaze after he announced the birth of a new child
Police in eastern China are investigating a man for “disturbing public order” after widespread conspiracy theories forced them to reinvestigate and reject the claims surrounding one of the country’s most famous criminal cases from the past five years.
The blaze got out of control and killed Lin’s wife and three children in 2017. Mo was sentenced to death for the crime in February 2018.
In the aftermath, Lin was the subject of national sympathy, but those sentiments turned to scorn after he revealed in June that he had started another family.
The rumours also started at around the same time that Lin revealed his new family.
Chinese man whose family was killed faces public scorn for starting new one
Some of the conspiracy theories claimed that Lin had inappropriate relations with Mo, was not on a business trip during the fire and that three firefighters that responded to the alarm were relatives of Lin and Mo.
People also spread a rumour that he had taken out a significant insurance policy on his family, implying that he organised the fire to claim the money.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the police said they had finished a “comprehensive and careful reinvestigation” of the case and had not found any evidence that Lin had “designed or implemented” the crime.
They also called on the public to not “fabricate, believe, or spread” rumours.
Finally, the police announced that they are investigating a man from Jiaozhou, in Shandong province, which is 800km north of Hangzhou, for disturbing public order.
“Those who intentionally make or spread rumours will receive serious punishment from the police,” they said.
The police said they are still investigating claims Lin evaded taxes and was not honest about his philanthropy.
Lin’s disclosure that he had a new child was controversial because many people believed he had leveraged the tragedy to promote himself and his business.
He has millions of followers on social media and started Tong Zhen Yi Sheng, a children’s clothing business named after his late family members.
Some of his fans thought Lin starting a family betrayed his public image as a forlorn lover.
However, other people said it was time to give Lin a break, and that his decision to start a family was a private matter.
After the fire, Lin went on the offensive, suing nine organisations he believed were responsible for the tragedy, such as the property management company and fire emergency response team.
He sought 138 million yuan (US$21.4 million) in the lawsuits but signed a confidential settlement.
There were rumours that he had kept all of the money and had not given any to his late wife’s family, but Lin’s lawyer denied the speculation.
