Because he only knew how to work as a carpenter, there were not many opportunities to make money in his hometown, and his wife had just given birth and needed money. After the New Year, he returned to Guangdong, which allowed him to successfully avoid Sheng Ge's investigation of those who had not returned.
In the summer of the second year after killing Xia Xiaolan, he rode a second-hand motorcycle into a flower bed on the roadside, causing a comminuted skull fracture.
This was an opportunity for us to find him, but because he was fully responsible, the police did not intervene too much, so he went back to his hometown to recuperate after careless treatment. The rehabilitation lasted for two years, and during those two years, we happened to be conducting a net like investigation near the location of the case.
In the vast sea of people, he escaped from under our noses time and time again. Except for the traffic accident, he hasn't said a word to the police in recent years and always avoids the police station on the streets.
But now, after 10 years of twists and turns, everything has returned to its starting point.
The next day during the day, the police station detained the room.
Through an iron fence, Sheng Ge and I finally had the opportunity to meet this man whom we had been looking for 10 years. I thought I would be very excited, but at that moment I was particularly calm.
That is indeed an ordinary face. The killer's name is Wei Jinzhong, with a lean physique and a height of about 1.7 meters. He is wearing a gray jacket and black pants, and speaks with a distinct regional accent.
In my memory, it was the longest interrogation time in Shengge's career, lasting more than ten hours, day and night reversed.
At first, Wei Jinzhong did not admit his criminal behavior, and his answers were particularly brief, as if afraid of revealing any secrets. When he didn't speak, he would curl his thin lips and stare blankly.
He didn't say anything about what happened 10 years ago. Indeed, this is the safest approach, as 10 years will blur many things, and we are prepared for him to deny it.
The murderer can remain silent, but the evidence can speak out. The physical evidence thrown out one by one broke through Wei Jinzhong's defense line inch by inch. After more than ten hours of silent resistance, he finally admitted to killing Xia Xiaolan.
He can't remember which day it was when the crime was committed, only that night was particularly cold.
At around 9pm, penniless, he walked out with a kitchen knife in his hand. His wife was waiting for delivery at home, and he wanted to get some money. After much thought, the quickest way was to rob her.
He chose a dark and winding path near his home and waited for a long time before Xia Xiaolan, riding a bike, appeared from one end of the road.
Watching the other person alone, he jumped out of the grass and stopped her, asking if she had any money. He held a kitchen knife and threatened Xia Xiaolan. Xia Xiaolan tried to escape on her bike, but when Wei Jinzhong and the two of them passed by, he fiercely smashed the girl's head with the back of the knife.
He dragged the girl into the nearby grass and quickly searched her pockets, but found nothing. But at this point, he no longer cared about having money. Looking at the girl who didn't react much, he felt something churning in his heart. Taking advantage of the girl's lack of resistance, he took off her clothes.
Wei Jinzhong's confession only ends here. He refused to admit to the other two similar cases during that period.
If you have evidence, just mess with me. What are you afraid of? "He raised his head, his tone calm, but with a deep provocation in his eyes.
Wei Jinzhong's words were like giving me a heavy punch in the face. I have too many regrets about the other two cases. According to the description of the two girls who were attacked, the course of the two cases and the method of committing the crime are almost the same, and the perpetrator is probably the same person. The girls who were violated only reported it the next day, had already taken a shower, washed their clothes, and even had their fingernails trimmed without leaving any valuable physical evidence. Even if his suspicion is high, we have no concrete evidence to prove it.
After the interrogation, we took Weijin to identify the crime scene. He walked slowly, wearing handcuffs and ankle shackles.
The small path of the past has become a wide cement road, and the barren grassland has now been replaced by artificial green grass. We can only speculate on the specific location where Xia Xiaolan was killed based on the surrounding rivers and power poles.
The factory where Xia Xiaolan was located at that time has been relocated and replaced by a residential area. The residents who came and went looked at us curiously, unaware of what had happened by the river where they walked every day.
Only I looked at the endless river, as if I had returned to 10 years ago, in that deep reed bed, where the naked girl still lay. But I know that after today, she will never appear in my dreams again.
The series of robbery and rape cases in Guizhou were ultimately determined to be committed by him, but the two cases on our side were unable to be determined due to the lack of direct evidence and the long time since the incident, making it difficult for the victims to accurately identify the perpetrator.
Although there are some small regrets, more importantly, there is liberation.
When escorting Weijin back to the detention center, he asked Sheng Ge one final question in the car: "Is it true that if I don't do this this this time, you won't be able to catch me"
Can you hold back from doing bad things"
Shenggula handcuffed him and pushed him into the gate of the detention center.