TAIWAN: 'MURDER CAFE' BARISTA LOSES APPEAL, SENTENCED TO DEATH

The Taiwan High Court upheld the death sentence given to a woman convicted of robbing and murdering a couple in a high-profile case.
Hsieh Yi-han, 29, was sentenced to death by Taipei’s Shilin District Court in October last year.
The High Court ruling upheld the original court decision that found Hsieh guilty of killing Shih Chien University assistant professor Chang Tsui-ping, 58, and her husband, Chen Chin-fu, 79.
The district court originally concluded that Hsieh’s motive for the murders was to obtain Chang’s jewelry collection — estimated to be worth NT$40 million (US$1.3 million at the time)
Hsieh managed a Mama Mouth Cafe coffee shop on the Tamsui River in Bali District at the time of the crimes, which led to the incident becoming known as the “Mama Mouth Cafe” case.
A court statement said Hsieh sedated the couple with drugged drinks on Feb. 16 last year, then stabbed both with a fruit knife before throwing them into the Tamsui River.
After the murders, Hsieh stole NT$350,000 from Chen and tried, but failed, to withdraw more money from his wife’s bank account by disguising herself as the murdered woman.
The case can still be appealed to the Supreme Court.