On April 6, Chen Mengxing, a farmer from China's northern...

On April 6, Chen Mengxing, a farmer from China's northern Hebei province was sentenced to death for stealing and accidentally shattering Beijing's oldest Buddha statue. Chen's accomplices Liu Xueru and Wang Liqiang were sentenced to life imprisonment. On the night of March 25, 1998, the gang stole the statue but it was badly damaged as they tried to move it. They later hid the remains of the statue in the backyard of Liu Xueru's home. The 3 were arrested last October.