The killings began in 1988. The women were followed home before being raped and then murdered – throats often slashed, some victims had their genitals removed, according to media reports.
One victim was 8 years old.
The killer remained a free man until Friday, according to a weekend statement by the Ministry of Public Security. The report said Gao Chengyong, 52, was detained for the crimes while working at the grocery store he ran with his wife in Baiyin, Gansu Province.
With 11 victims in total, the murders took place in both Baiyin and Baotou, Inner Mongolia, with the women targeted usually dressed in red according to the South China Morning Post.
Gao is taken into custody by police in this photo provided to the China Daily.
The killings stopped in 2002 and the trail went cold until police tested the DNA of Gao’s uncle over a minor crime, leading police to believe the uncle was a relative of the killer, according to China Daily.
Police efforts to identify the serial killer by fingerprinting all of the men registered in Baiyin didn’t net Gao because he was registered as living in a remote town 120 kilometers away, according to the Hong Kong-based news outlet The Standard.
[Images via SCMP and China Daily]
0 User Comments