A Chinese man, languishing in prison for the last eight years, was set free by a court and awarded a hefty compensation after the person whom he was convicted of killing was found alive. Zhao Zuohai, a 57-year-old resident of Zhaolou village was wrongfully convicted of the murder of a fellow villager in 1999, the Henan Provincial Higher People's Court ruled. The suspended death sentence handed down in 2002 was rescinded and the court also awarded him compensation to the tune of 44,000 US dollars. It all started in October 1997 when Zhao Zuohai and his neighbour Zhao Zhenshang had a fight, after which the latter went missing. In May 1999, a headless body was found in the village. Zhao Zuohai was arrested and, in 2002, convicted of murdering Zhao Zhenshang, according to a court statement. However, Zhao Zhenshang, the 58-year-old victim returned to the village on April 30. The Higher People's Court in Henan confirmed Zhao Zhenshang's identity on Friday and acquitted Zhao Zuohai.