On March 30, 2026, a court in Xiangcheng, Henan, found in first instance that Cao's family members had discussed having the elderly person drink pesticide and die on the neighbor's homestead, using the death to force the neighbor to stop work and secure the release of her son Li, who had been criminally detained; six relatives, including her husband and daughter, were convicted of intentional homicide, with the husband sentenced to 6 years.