Man in China cremated alive in body swap plot 14 Apr, 2021 10:22 PM 2 minutes to read The crime was committed to bypass strict laws on burials. Photo / File news.com.au A Chinese man with Down's syndrome was kidnapped, drugged, stuffed in a coffin and cremated alive in place of a wealthy stranger who wanted to bypass a government ban on burials. The wealthy deceased man – known only by his surname Huang – died from cancer in February 2017 and told his family before he died that he wished to be buried, according to the South China Morning Post. The family hired someone to find a substitute body that could be cremated in place of their relative's.