A man surnamed Chang from Gaogang District in Taizhou took a black car driven by an unlicensed female driver, and had the intention to take her money. On the 15th of January, he used a brick and a jack to kill the female driver in Taixing, then dumped the body in Hai'an, Nantong, and burned the car in Rugao, Nantong. After sneaking back to Taizhou, he wore a helmet and used the female driver's bank card to withdraw money, and was subsequently wanted by the police. On November 8th, with the cooperation of the Taixing police, the Hai'an police captured Chang in Taixing and escorted him back to Hai'an.
On the afternoon of January 16th, villagers in Renxiang Bridge, Yazhou Town, Haian County, Nantong City, discovered an unidentified female corpse under the bridge. After receiving the alarm, the Haian police quickly arrived at the scene. Based on the investigation, it was initially determined that the death was a homicide, and the body was dumped under the bridge. Subsequently, the local police established a special task force to investigate the case and issued an assistance notice to surrounding areas. At 8:00 AM on January 17th, the task force received a report from the Taixing police that an unlicensed female driver surnamed Lu from Liuchen Town, Taixing, disappeared on the evening of January 15th, and her features matched those of the deceased. After verification, the police found that the dead person was indeed Lu. According to family members, the police also found that Lu's imitation Apple phone, cash, and two bank cards were missing. On the morning of the same day, a burnt-out car was found on Qifeng West Road in Rucheng Town, Rugao City, Nantong. Upon comparison, it was confirmed to be Lu's black Geely car. On January 19th, the task force found a large amount of bloodstains on the roadside in the suburban area of Taixing City. After investigation, it was determined that this was the first crime scene. The police judged that the suspect was not only cruel but also cunning based on the pattern of "killing in one place, dumping the body in another, and burning the car in a third."
The Taizhou police offered a reward of 50,000 yuan for information leading to the arrest of the suspect.
The special task force soon discovered that on the evening of January 17th, the suspect appeared in the main urban area of Taizhou and used the deceased's bank card to withdraw money. To avoid being noticed, the suspect wore a helmet and a medium-length dark blue cotton coat similar to a security guard's cold-weather uniform, and a pair of cotton shoes with a light-colored square trademark on the front of the shoe. The right hand seemed to have a tattoo, birthmark, scar, or sticker pattern. Based on this important clue, to assist the Nantong police in solving the case as soon as possible, the Taizhou police published a reward notice in local media, online forums, and densely populated areas. The notice included a blurry side photo of the suspect. The police promised a reward of 50,000 yuan for providing effective clues to help solve the case. However, as time passed, the suspect never reappeared, and the case stalled.
Determined to solve the case, the Hai'an police remained committed to capturing the suspect. Combining the characteristics of the suspect's cruel means, ability to drive, tall stature, and familiarity with the areas of Hai'an, Taixing, and Rugao, the police narrowed down the scope to within 100 kilometers around Taixing city. In nine months, they investigated over 4,000 suspicious individuals while walking through streets and villages. During the investigation, they also helped the local police solve four robbery cases from other counties. On November 7th, a man surnamed Chang from Gaogang District, Taizhou, came into the focus of the special task force. Through criminal investigation techniques, he was ultimately identified as the culprit. After consulting with the Provincial Public Security Department, Chang was listed as a fugitive on the internet on the morning of the same day. That evening, upon receiving the alarm from the Taixing police, both sides swiftly captured Chang when he appeared in a hotel in the urban area of the city. The next day, Chang was interrogated after being brought back to Hai'an by the Hai'an police.
Chang confessed that he is 40 years old, served in the Marine Corps, and later drove for a unit in Gaogang District, Taizhou, becoming familiar with the roads in Taizhou and Nantong. He admitted that he has his own family, and his parents are still alive. Envious of wealthy people's lives but unable to earn much himself, he became very restless. In 2002, he was caught stealing in Yangzhou and sentenced to one and a half years of probation. Afterwards, he left the unit in Gaogang District, Taizhou, and began to 'mix' in society. But without any economic income, his life was very difficult, and he was unable to take care of his parents and family. On the evening of January 15th, while riding in Lu's car, he saw an opportunity for profit, tricked Lu to a secluded place on the outskirts of Taixing city, deceived her out of the car, and used a brick to smash Lu's head. Fearing she might still be alive, he then used a car jack to further injure her. After dragging Lu into the car, Chang took her gold ring, imitation Apple phone, cash, and two bank cards. Finally, he drove to Hai'an to dump the body and burned Lu's black Geely car in Rugao to destroy evidence of the crime. Later, Chang also used Lu's bank card to withdraw money at an ATM in Taizhou, wearing a helmet to disguise himself.
The police introduced that although Chang's actions led to his downfall, Lu's unlicensed passenger transport resulting in misfortune should raise awareness among more citizens, especially female drivers. The police reminded that even regular taxis should register at security checkpoints if traveling out of the city late at night.