A man who went on a killing spree across three provinces with a friend last year has received the death penalty.

Liu Qizhi, 19, killed seven people - including a pregnant woman - during a violent rampage that lasted nine days.

His accomplice, identified by authorities only as Fu, was sentenced to life in prison, a more lenient punishment because he was under 18 at the time of the killings, Legal Daily reported on Sunday.

The two were sentenced at Qujing Intermediate People's Court in Yunnan province on Thursday.

Both defendants will be stripped of their political rights for life and their personal property is to be confiscated.

Liu and Fu met at high school in Wugang, Hunan province. They dropped out and devised a plan to steal money in the summer, Legal Daily reported.

In April, the Qujing court found them guilty of killing two couples in Hunan and Guangdong provinces in August. They stole 3,000 yuan ($490) in cash from one couple.

The duo then killed another victim in Fuyuan county in Yunnan on Aug 29 - this time for just 90 yuan. One day later, they killed a five-month-pregnant hotel owner and her 2-year-old daughter in the county.

From Aug 21 to Aug 30, they killed seven people, police said.

Police caught Fu in Jiangxi province on Sept 6. Liu was detained on the same day at a hotel in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

During the hearings in Qujing, the two confessed to all of the killings.

Liu and Fu's family were ordered to pay 250,000 yuan in compensation, which will be shared by the victims' families.

Investigations showed that the two were from poor families.

Liu said he quit school because his performance was poor, and that he was criticized by school authorities for violating regulations.

(China Daily USA 06/24/2013 page4)