The Yang Tianyong gang committed a total of 25 crimes, including 5 murders, 9 cases of murder and carjacking, and 9 cases of vehicle theft.
The Yang Tianyong gang killed 19 people, including 3 police officers, 3 neighborhood watch members, 1 active-duty soldier, and 2 women.
On October 25, 2000, seven main members of the Yang Tianyong gang were sentenced to death, and on November 17, 2000, they were executed by firing squad.
Zou Hongbin, a man in his 40s from Hunan, specialized in altering the license plates and serial numbers of the cars stolen by the Yang Tianyong gang.
The families of the 19 victims demanded a total of more than 8 million yuan in compensation, with the highest individual claim being 1.419 million yuan and the lowest being 99,900 yuan.
The gang was apprehended after police traced a mobile phone that had been used by one of the gang members. This led to the arrest of Chai Guoli, Yang Tianyong, and Zhang Weihua on June 14, 2000.
The gang disposed of their victims' bodies by dismembering, cooking, and feeding them to pigs and dogs at three farms they operated in Kunming.
The Wang Junbo and Wang Xiaoxiang case was significant because both victims were police officers, one of whom was a deputy director of a county public security bureau. This case also led to the wrongful conviction of Du Peiwu, who was later exonerated after the Yang Tianyong gang was exposed.
The gang referred to themselves as a "company" and their criminal activities as "operations." They had strict rules, including a 20% deduction from total earnings for operational costs, and members had to seek permission to enter or leave the company. Unauthorized entry or exit resulted in a 1,000 yuan fine.
Wu Zijun was killed by his wife Zheng Qing and son Wu Fei in 2011. They buried his body in their yard. Both were later sentenced to prison, with Wu Fei receiving a seven-year sentence and Zheng Qing a three-year sentence.