eurekapd Chapter 1404 Explains the Motive and Circumstances of the Murder
Chapter 1404 Explains the Motive and Circumstances of the Murder
"Chen Ershan kept urging me, asking where I was. I didn't waste any words with him, and just pulled out the single-edged folding knife from my pocket and stabbed at him." As he said this, a fierce glint flashed in Luo Baojun's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by fear.
“Chen Ershan was completely caught off guard by my sudden attack. He was startled, and after regaining his senses, he started fighting with me. He grabbed my knife and tried to wrest it away, cutting his right hand fingers and getting dirt and fibers under his fingernails. I was blinded by rage and forcefully broke free from his grasp, then stabbed him in the chest. The knife struck his heart, and he groaned before collapsing to the ground, struggling a few times before going still.” Luo Baojun’s voice trailed off, his eyes filled with remorse. “I was terrified and didn’t know what to do. I stood there stunned for a while before I came to my senses. I thought of the North Suburbs landfill, which was relatively remote and rarely visited, so I decided to transport his body there and dispose of it there so no one would find it.”
“I carried Chen Ershan’s body into the back of his pedicab. To avoid being discovered, I covered the body with a dark canvas. Then I pushed the pedicab towards the northern suburban landfill. I didn’t expect that the tire would burst after a short distance. It was already dark, and I was even more anxious. I looked around and saw that Old Yang’s auto repair shop was still open, so I pushed the pedicab over there.” Luo Baojun recalled the scene of fixing the tire, a hint of luck flashing in his eyes. “I was wearing a baseball cap and a mask at the time, just to avoid being recognized. Master Yang didn’t ask any questions and fixed the tire for me. I paid and quickly pushed the pedicab away.”
“After fixing the tire, I continued pushing the tricycle toward the landfill. I was very anxious the whole way, afraid of running into someone I knew. When I got near the landfill entrance, I saw garbage trucks working, so I went around to the back gate and went in. I followed the path made by the scavengers and pushed the tricycle to the south side of a pile of garbage about 2 meters high. Then I lifted Chen Ershan's body out of the truck bed, placed it on the pile of garbage, and covered part of the body with nearby trash, leaving only a hand and a foot exposed.” Luo Baojun paused, then continued, “I was very panicked. After abandoning the body, I wanted to leave quickly. I originally wanted to take the tricycle with me, but I was afraid that pushing it would make me easily discovered, so I dumped it in an abandoned drainage ditch about 30 meters from the body.”
“When I was abandoning the tricycle, I saw a dirt slope nearby and thought I’d rest there for a bit to calm myself down. I took out a ‘Hongtashan’ brand cigarette from my pocket, lit it, and started smoking. After smoking half of it, I heard the voices of scavengers in the distance, so I quickly threw the cigarette butt on the ground and hurriedly left the landfill,” Luo Baojun said. “After leaving the landfill, I didn’t dare go back to my rented room, so I went to find my mistress, Zhang Yan. I told her I had gotten into a fight and was afraid of being arrested by the police, so I asked her to help me find a place to hide. Zhang Yan arranged for me to go to an abandoned old house in Zhangjiazhuang, her hometown in the southern suburbs, and I hid there.”
“I knew Chen Ershan had offended many people, so I thought the police wouldn’t find me quickly. When I was hiding in the old house, I was conflicted. On one hand, I was afraid of being caught by the police, and on the other hand, I had a sliver of hope. I put the black jacket and sneakers I wore during the crime in my backpack and hid them in a corner of the room, but I didn’t expect you to find them anyway.” Luo Baojun finished speaking, lowered his head, and his voice was filled with despair. “I shouldn’t have killed him in a moment of impulse. It’s too late to say anything now.”
Xiao Zhou listened attentively to Luo Baojun's confession, occasionally jotting down key information in the case file, his eyes never leaving Luo Baojun. He noticed that when Luo Baojun recounted the murder, his eyes darted away and his body stiffened, clearly still shaken by the scene; when describing the details of disposing of the body and repairing the tire, his tone carried a hint of panic and a sense of relief; and during his final confession, his voice was hoarse and filled with remorse. These changes in body language and psychology all matched his confession.
To verify the veracity of Luo Baojun's confession, Xiao Zhou pressed him on some key details: "Where did you get the single-edged folding knife you used to kill Chen Ershan?" Luo Baojun replied, "I bought that knife from a street stall a year ago. I use it for self-defense, and sometimes I use it to pick locks when I'm burglarizing." "When you were loading the body into the tricycle, did you notice anything valuable on Chen Ershan?" Xiao Zhou continued. Luo Baojun shook his head: "I was only focused on disposing of the body at the time. I didn't pay attention to whether he had anything valuable on him. Besides, I didn't kill him for money; it was just for revenge."
"You've been hiding in that abandoned old house in Zhangjiazhuang for several days. Have you contacted the outside world?" Xiao Zhou asked. Luo Baojun replied, "No, I was afraid that if I made a phone call, the police would track me down, so I stayed in the old house. Zhang Yan occasionally brought me food and drink." Xiao Zhou then pressed for details about the previous conflict between Luo Baojun and Chen Ershan, to which Luo Baojun answered one by one. His account was basically consistent with the information gathered during previous investigations.
By the time the interrogation ended, dawn was breaking. Luo Baojun's hands trembled as he signed and fingerprinted his statement, his eyes filled with remorse and despair. Watching Luo Baojun being led out of the interrogation room, Xiao Zhou breathed a long sigh of relief. After days of tireless effort, the murder case at the northern suburban landfill had finally been solved. The suspect, Luo Baojun, had been successfully identified and apprehended, and the wrongful conviction of the deceased, Chen Ershan, had finally been redressed.
In the courtyard of the Criminal Investigation Detachment, the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating every corner. Although the investigators all looked tired, their eyes were filled with joy and satisfaction. They knew that solving this case was inseparable from the efforts and dedication of everyone involved. From the meticulous attention to detail during the crime scene investigation, to the patient persistence during interviews and investigations, to the meticulous analysis of surveillance footage, and finally to the psychological warfare during interrogations, every step reflected the hard work and dedication of the team members.
Upon learning the interrogation results, Li Ming finally smiled, a smile he hadn't shown in a long time. He told his team members, "You've all worked hard! Solving this case fully demonstrates the professionalism and tenacity of our criminal investigation team members. Justice may be delayed, but it will never be absent, and we have put this into practice with our actions." Li Ming then immediately arranged for his team to organize the case file and transfer it to the procuratorate for review and prosecution. Luo Baojun will face the full force of the law.