The ‘3 Body Problem’ real-life death sentence, explained

Netflix’s new sci-fi venture, 3 Body Problem, has been generating a lot of discussion, but not for the reason you might think, as recent headlines have drawn attention to a bizarre murder linked to the show.

The Netflix show adapts Liu Cixin’s successful trilogy of sci-fi novels, written by Liu Cixin, which present a unique and scientifically grounded take on humanity encountering extraterrestrial life. Adapting the source material was inevitable, and rights eventually went to the Game of Thrones writers, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. But before the series even made it to screens, a tragedy affected the 3 Body Problem family.

In 2020 Lin Qi, a young entrepreneur, died at age 39. He founded Yoozoo, a gaming company that created Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming. The strategy game was one of many products that they contributed to. They also had option rights on 3 Body Problem, which they granted to US markets.

But in December 2020 Lin was admitted to the hospital with a life-threatening condition, and it was later determined that he became sick after ingesting poisoned pu’er tea. A hunt was underway for the culprit, but soon charges were eventually filed against a former employee who had maliciously poisoned their boss. But why?

Sentencing for the 3 Body Problem death

Not long after Lin’s death, Xu Yao was charged with the crime. Per Business Insider, he was hired in 2017 as part of a subsidiary of the 3 Body Problem universe but was demoted because of his performance. This event is allegedly what led him to be disgruntled in the workplace. BBC reported that after obtaining a lethal amount of pills, he tested them on animals before giving them to Lin. After disguising them as probiotic pills, four others in the office all got sick, though Lin was the only fatality. After Lin’s death, Yoozoo released a statement in mourning:

“Goodbye youth… We will be together, continue to be kind, continue to believe in goodness, and continue the fight against all that is bad.”

After deliberation, The Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court found Xu guilty of murder and handed down a death sentence. Sentencing gained widespread media attention because of its relationship with 3 Body Problem.

Xu’s death sentence was handed down not long after the series premiered on Netflix and Lin was posthumously credited as an executive producer in 3 Body Problem. All 8 episodes are streaming on Netflix.