Research on intimate partner violence (IPV) has extensively examined female victimization, with intimate partner femicide (IPF) as its most severe outcome. While many studies explore IPF risk factors, situational triggers remain underexplored, especially in China. This study addresses this gap by analyzing 238 Chinese judicial cases of IPF involving married women. Using an ecological framework and qualitative analysis, it identifies triggers at societal (e.g., bride price conflicts, return to Niangjia, economic oppression in uxorilocal marriages), relationship (e.g., broken relationships, infidelity, marital conflicts), and individual (e.g., offender’s mental illness, suicide, alcohol use) levels. No community-level factors were found. The findings validate these triggers and expand the ecological framework’s application to IPF.