A man who was convicted of killing eight people including a 2-year-old boy was sentenced to death Thursday in a second trial in central China's Hubei Province.

The Hubei Provincial Higher People's Court rejected Xiong Zhenlin's appeal and upheld his death penalty for murder. That penalty must be reviewed by the Supreme People's Court.

Xiong Zhenlin, 35, a junk collector, was convicted of killing eight people in Luoyang Township on Jan. 4. He was arrested in the provincial capital Wuhan a week later.

Xiong was sentenced to death at his initial trial on Feb. 9. He appealed his sentence on Feb. 12.

(Xinhua News Agency March 5, 2009)