eurekapd Chapter 1214 Irrefutable Evidence, Breakthrough in Interrogation
Chapter 1214 Irrefutable Evidence, Breakthrough in Interrogation
Xiao Zhou didn't stop, producing the final piece of evidence—photographs of physical evidence found in Zhang Baoshan's residence and vehicle: a black jacket, a baseball cap, a gray-brown hemp rope, and a carbon steel knife. "The soil in the jacket pocket matches the soil from the brick kiln; the hemp rope's fiber composition is exactly the same as the binding marks on Li Kui's wrists; the metal shavings on the knife's blade match the shavings from the tear in Li Kui's work jacket," Xiao Zhou's voice suddenly rose, "This evidence all points to you. Do you still want to deny it?"
“I…I…” Zhang Baoshan opened his mouth, but could no longer utter a complete sentence. Looking at the evidence in the photos, the scene of August 18th involuntarily surfaced in his mind: Li Kui questioning him in the brick kiln about why he used a fake account to transfer money; in desperation, he bound Li Kui with hemp rope, slashed the other man's coat with a knife, and finally hit Li Kui's head and chest with stones… Those bloody scenes surged like a tide, making him tremble all over.
Suddenly, Zhang Baoshan clutched his head, letting out a suppressed sob: "I didn't mean to kill him! He forced me to!" His mental defenses completely collapsed, tears mixed with cold sweat streaming down his face, staining the interrogation record and spreading a small patch of ink. "I owed gambling debts, and they were forcing me to pay them back, threatening to break my legs if I didn't… I saw Li Kui repairing a car with gambling money hidden inside at the auto repair shop, and I wanted him to help me cover it up, but he insisted on calling the police, so I had no choice but to…"
Xiao Zhou handed him a tissue, gesturing for him to continue. Zhang Baoshan wiped away his tears and began to recount the crime in fits and starts: "On August 17th, I transferred 20,000 yuan to Li Kui using an anonymous account, hoping he would mind his own business, but he said, 'This is illegal, I have to call the police.' On the afternoon of the 18th, I called him using a fake number, saying I was returning the money to him at the brick kiln and asked him to come over—I knew the brick kiln was remote and no one would go there."
His voice was filled with fear, as if he were back on that sinful afternoon: "After he arrived at the brick kiln, he still insisted on calling the police. I panicked, so I took a rope from the car and tied his hands when he wasn't looking. As he struggled, I slashed his coat with a knife and pushed him. His head hit the brick wall, and he bled." Zhang Baoshan's body trembled violently. "I was afraid he would scream for help, so I picked up a stone from the ground and hit him on the neck and chest several times until he stopped moving..."
"And then? How did you dispose of the body and the scene?" Xiao Zhou pressed, his finger scribbling rapidly on the record sheet. Zhang Baoshan swallowed hard and continued, "I dragged his body deep into the brick kiln, covered it with withered leaves, and then drove to the mining road with the rope, knife, his phone, and wallet. I threw the phone and wallet into a nearby ditch, and hid the rope and knife in the trunk of my motorcycle." He paused, then added, "I was afraid someone would see me driving down the mountain, so I hid the car in a construction zone on the ring road and rode my motorcycle home. I didn't dare to drive the car back until the next day."
To confirm the details, Xiao Zhou asked, "Why did you grind down the VIN and remove the license plate? Where did Li Kui's phone and cash go?" Zhang Baoshan lowered his head, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible: "I was afraid the police would find me through the VIN, so I ground it down; I used the cash to pay off gambling debts, and I threw the phone and wallet into a ditch, they must have been washed away by the rain..." His shoulders slumped, all his previous arrogance gone, replaced by endless regret.
The interrogation lasted three hours, during which Zhang Baoshan fully confessed to the entire process of murdering Li Kui: from their feud over a parking dispute, to discovering that Li Kui knew his secret about hiding gambling funds, to luring him with money, violently killing him, and disposing of the body to cover up the crime. Every detail precisely matched the crime scene investigation, forensic examination, and witness testimonies. When Xiao Zhou asked him to sign the interrogation record, his hand trembled violently, and the pen tip left crooked marks on the paper, as if he were confessing to his crime.
As he stepped out of the interrogation room, dawn was breaking. The morning light streamed through the windows into the corridor, casting a golden glow on the cold walls. Looking at the interrogation transcript in his hand, Xiao Zhou knew that this interrogation had not only revealed the truth of the case but also irrefutably proven Zhang Baoshan's crimes. He took out his phone and sent Li Ming a message: "Zhang Baoshan has fully confessed to the murder and body disposal process. The chain of evidence is complete, and the case can be transferred to the procuratorate." Li Ming quickly replied: "Thank you for your hard work. Justice will not be absent."
At the end of the corridor, technicians were packing evidence into boxes. Black jackets, hemp ropes, and carbon steel knives were sealed away one by one. These items, once stained with crime, had now become witnesses to justice. Xiao Zhou recalled Li Kui's honest smile and the devastated state of Li Kui's family when their identities were confirmed. He finally breathed a sigh of relief—this investigation, spanning several days, had finally come to an end with the truth revealed, and the crimes hidden in the Beishan brick kiln would ultimately receive their due judgment under the severe punishment of the law.
On the morning of August 25th, the mist over Beishan Mountain had not yet completely dissipated, and two clear tracks were left by the wheels of the vehicles on the reddish-brown soil. A convoy of three police cars slowly came to a stop in the open space at the entrance of the abandoned brick kiln. The glaring police lights flashed in the morning mist, breaking the silence of the mountains. Zhang Baoshan, wearing handcuffs and shackles, was led out of the car by two police officers. The collar of his black coat was lifted by the wind, revealing the prison uniform underneath. His head was hanging low, and his eyes avoided looking at the mottled brick kiln not far away—three days ago, this was the "site where he tried to hide his body" to cover up his crimes, but now it had become the key scene proving his crimes.
"Identification begins, the entire process will be recorded." Xiao Zhou, holding a body camera, stood beside the cordon at the entrance of the brick kiln; his voice was exceptionally clear in the open mountain valley. The officers loosened their restraints on Zhang Baoshan, leaving only the handcuffs on, giving him ample room to move. Zhang Baoshan's legs trembled slightly; each step seemed like resistance, yet he was forced to be guided by the officers, slowly walking towards the brick kiln entrance.
"You met Li Kui here on the afternoon of August 18th?" Xiao Zhou pointed to the gravel ground at the entrance of the brick kiln, the body camera closely following Zhang Baoshan's movements. His gaze lingered on the entrance for a few seconds, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he answered in a hoarse voice, "Yes... I arrived here around 4 pm, parked my car in the open space outside, and waited for him at the entrance. I waited for about 20 minutes before he came over on his electric bike." He raised his hand and pointed to the open space on the west side of the brick kiln, "My black Volkswagen Lavida was parked there, with a rope and a knife on the passenger seat, wrapped in a black bag, so he wouldn't see them."
Technicians immediately conducted an investigation at the "parking location" identified by Zhang Baoshan.