WEBVTT 1 00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:10.919 In the early nineteen nineties, people began disappearing from the 2 00:00:10.919 --> 00:00:15.199 small city of Nihi in northeastern China, often after passing 3 00:00:15.240 --> 00:00:19.679 through its train station. At first, the cases seemed unrelated 4 00:00:19.920 --> 00:00:24.199 runaways or migrant workers and travelers who simply never came home. 5 00:00:24.839 --> 00:00:27.359 But as the months passed, the numbers grew and the 6 00:00:27.399 --> 00:00:31.399 silence from authorities. Will it only deepen the fear? What 7 00:00:31.640 --> 00:00:36.320 investigators would stumble into while shutting down a simple scam 8 00:00:36.679 --> 00:00:40.479 would lead them to uncover something horrific. A dark pit 9 00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:45.119 hiding dark secrets beyond the imagination, and it was sitting 10 00:00:45.119 --> 00:00:51.000 beneath an ordinary house. This is a story of survival, manipulation, 11 00:00:51.640 --> 00:00:54.679 death and decay. And I want to warn you this 12 00:00:54.840 --> 00:00:58.439 is one of the most, if not the most graphic 13 00:00:58.520 --> 00:01:02.719 stories we have ever covered on this podcast. This is 14 00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:07.599 the story of Giowenge, the Man with the Corpse Pit. 15 00:01:09.040 --> 00:01:13.159 My name's Ben, I'm Nicole, and you're listening to Wicked Ingram. 16 00:01:13.040 --> 00:01:14.799 A true crime podcast. 17 00:01:15.480 --> 00:01:15.879 Warning. 18 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:24.680 The following podcast material intend more mature audience listener discretion. 19 00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:47.319 Well, if that's not going to get your attention, I 20 00:01:47.319 --> 00:01:48.200 don't know what will. 21 00:01:49.319 --> 00:01:53.680 I really don't Yeah, it's certainly something that's uh gonna 22 00:01:53.680 --> 00:01:55.319 bring it right to the forefront of your mind on 23 00:01:55.439 --> 00:01:57.200 holy shit, what did I get myself into? 24 00:01:57.680 --> 00:01:59.840 And that's I'm gonna need this. 25 00:02:00.159 --> 00:02:02.959 Ah, fair enough, That's what I was wanting to make 26 00:02:02.959 --> 00:02:05.239 sure I do. Giving you a very big warning. This 27 00:02:05.319 --> 00:02:08.199 is not necessarily a case that gets graphic into murder 28 00:02:08.240 --> 00:02:12.159 per se, but it gets graphic into death and decay. 29 00:02:12.840 --> 00:02:16.520 It gets very gross. Okay, Yeah, I needed to make 30 00:02:16.520 --> 00:02:17.719 sure I put that out there today. 31 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:20.919 So if I was, if my stomach was feeling slightly 32 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:24.879 off before this, how's that going to to be for me? 33 00:02:25.479 --> 00:02:27.039 We might need to take a break or two, then 34 00:02:27.080 --> 00:02:29.240 maybe get you some pepto bismol or who knows what, 35 00:02:29.439 --> 00:02:32.479 just some way to chill you out a bit, because well, 36 00:02:32.520 --> 00:02:35.560 gosh dang. And this is actually a Patreon suggested case too. 37 00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:38.240 This comes from our little case requested chat that we 38 00:02:38.280 --> 00:02:41.560 got going on, and Katie Chastain suggested this one, and 39 00:02:41.599 --> 00:02:43.719 as soon as I saw it, I was like, what 40 00:02:43.800 --> 00:02:44.439 the fuck? 41 00:02:44.599 --> 00:02:48.759 Oh Katy, Okay, she can't warn you. 42 00:02:50.400 --> 00:02:53.360 Not really creepy case with a bit of a crazy twist, 43 00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:55.240 that's about all she said. And would love to hear 44 00:02:55.560 --> 00:02:57.879 a deep dive into it okay, right on, So I 45 00:02:57.919 --> 00:03:00.599 gave it my best shot, Katie. Hopefully you enjoy what 46 00:03:00.639 --> 00:03:02.599 I did. But before we actually keep moving on, we 47 00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:04.800 got to thank our patrons who did sign up this 48 00:03:04.840 --> 00:03:07.400 week over on Patreon, people who sign up just like 49 00:03:07.479 --> 00:03:12.599 Katie did. We have Jonathan Frazen, Erica Lapham, Carla Stillwell, 50 00:03:13.000 --> 00:03:15.319 Jenny Ubiyah. I think I got it right. I had 51 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:17.479 a little phonetic breakdown given to me for that one, 52 00:03:17.520 --> 00:03:19.080 So thank you very much, Jenny, and I hope I 53 00:03:19.080 --> 00:03:21.919 got your name right. Hopefully I did it justice. We 54 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:26.280 also have Haley Littlefair, Michelle Plank, and finally someone who 55 00:03:26.360 --> 00:03:30.000 signed up not with a name, but they signed up 56 00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:32.639 instead with a little bit of I don't know, do 57 00:03:32.639 --> 00:03:35.400 you want to say insight or advice to everyone out there? 58 00:03:35.439 --> 00:03:39.000 Maybe just a quote they said, grow from the dirt 59 00:03:39.280 --> 00:03:39.960 they left you in. 60 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:42.639 Hm. Okay, that's cool. 61 00:03:42.840 --> 00:03:44.840 Yeah, so that's a shout out to them and everyone 62 00:03:44.840 --> 00:03:46.680 else who joined up on Patreon. They get the behind 63 00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:48.840 the scenes extra episodes and all that good stuff that 64 00:03:48.919 --> 00:03:49.599 comes out over there. 65 00:03:49.719 --> 00:03:51.360 M hm, that's awesome. 66 00:03:51.560 --> 00:03:51.759 Yeah. 67 00:03:51.919 --> 00:03:54.039 Yeah. I feel like most people just put their names, 68 00:03:54.039 --> 00:03:58.400 but there's the odd person that has something a little creative. 69 00:03:58.439 --> 00:03:59.280 I suppose I want to. 70 00:04:00.120 --> 00:04:02.560 We'll get through. And I don't think it's ever happened 71 00:04:02.599 --> 00:04:05.240 yet where someone has a pun that I read it 72 00:04:05.319 --> 00:04:07.919 and it comes out with like, you know, Seymour butts 73 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:09.919 or something like that. Haven't had any of those yet, 74 00:04:10.400 --> 00:04:12.280 but I'm sure now that I put it out there, 75 00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:13.879 it may happen sooner later. 76 00:04:14.039 --> 00:04:16.519 But I digress, well, you might catch that. I would 77 00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:18.480 be one of those people that would not catch that 78 00:04:18.600 --> 00:04:21.680 because I'm just too gullible touche. 79 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:25.279 I mean, as long as it's not like offensive, yeah, 80 00:04:25.319 --> 00:04:27.120 I'm fine with it, and I'll probably just read it 81 00:04:27.160 --> 00:04:27.920 because it's funny. 82 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:30.839 I know. Sometimes those things are offensive and that's just 83 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:34.240 not okay. Rude yeah yeah, so and then it because 84 00:04:34.240 --> 00:04:36.839 it makes the person saying it look like an ass 85 00:04:36.839 --> 00:04:38.519 and they are just literally reading you know. 86 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:41.319 Yeah. But anyways, we've had a lot of really good 87 00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:44.040 Patreons who haven't made us do that, So I'm pretty 88 00:04:44.040 --> 00:04:45.759 happy that we've got a good community of people. 89 00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:48.439 Yeah, I love I love our Patreon. 90 00:04:48.600 --> 00:04:50.279 It's just I don't know, it's a good place. 91 00:04:50.360 --> 00:04:52.160 Makes me feel good going in there, for sure. 92 00:04:52.720 --> 00:04:54.839 Now, I did give Nicole a little bit of a 93 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:58.240 warning on this case. I didn't tell her much about it. 94 00:04:58.360 --> 00:05:00.000 I think I read you like one or two cent 95 00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:04.120 and says just in descriptions to give you a heads up, 96 00:05:04.160 --> 00:05:07.199 because there's a lot in regards to this. So I 97 00:05:07.319 --> 00:05:10.240 warned you off off, Mike, and I'm warning you guys 98 00:05:10.279 --> 00:05:13.319 now too. It is very graphic descriptions. 99 00:05:13.639 --> 00:05:15.800 I just have to ask sometimes I'm wondering if that 100 00:05:15.959 --> 00:05:18.439 is a warning to me or just you need to 101 00:05:18.759 --> 00:05:22.000 needing to get something off your chest, because it's the 102 00:05:22.079 --> 00:05:24.360 latter sometimes to me, because I don't really need the 103 00:05:24.399 --> 00:05:26.720 warning per se, and I'm like, no, I'm good, Like 104 00:05:26.839 --> 00:05:30.519 I'll just listen to it live or whatever. But then no, 105 00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:31.600 I gotta tell you this. 106 00:05:32.839 --> 00:05:35.240 It's there's a mix of that. There's sometimes I got 107 00:05:35.240 --> 00:05:36.959 to get it off my chest. Sometimes it's like, oh, 108 00:05:37.000 --> 00:05:39.120 I wrote something so good and juicy, I just I'm 109 00:05:39.160 --> 00:05:40.839 so excited. I got to I gotta see what you're 110 00:05:40.839 --> 00:05:42.399 going to say. You need a pat on the back 111 00:05:42.680 --> 00:05:45.920 that too. So there's a variety of reasons. Okay, but 112 00:05:46.040 --> 00:05:48.079 I think all that aside, we should get into the episode. 113 00:05:48.120 --> 00:05:50.839 I think, so, yeah, let's let's rip the band aid 114 00:05:50.839 --> 00:05:51.680 off here, all right. 115 00:05:52.240 --> 00:05:54.839 So in the late nineteen eighties, the town of Nihi 116 00:05:55.040 --> 00:05:58.480 in Heilongjang Province. I hope I got that right. This 117 00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:00.639 is a Chinese case, so I'm going to do my 118 00:06:00.680 --> 00:06:04.040 best for all the pronunciations which This province, of course, 119 00:06:04.079 --> 00:06:06.240 is in northern China, and it sits quietly near the 120 00:06:06.319 --> 00:06:11.040 Russian border, surrounded by farmland, long empty highways and things 121 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:14.279 like that. Winters here well, they can be very harsh 122 00:06:14.360 --> 00:06:18.040 and endless, while summers are short and crowded with agricultural work. 123 00:06:18.480 --> 00:06:22.759 Life moved according to the seedents, planting, harvesting, and freight 124 00:06:22.800 --> 00:06:27.240 trucks moving crops through town. Most residents worked on farmland, 125 00:06:27.519 --> 00:06:31.920 They did food processing, or worked in small factories for potatoes, beets, 126 00:06:31.920 --> 00:06:34.360 and grain that were the backstone of the local economy. 127 00:06:35.279 --> 00:06:38.879 During peak season, the railway station became the busiest place 128 00:06:38.920 --> 00:06:42.040 in town, filled with strangers passing through, and many were 129 00:06:42.079 --> 00:06:47.000 carrying cash and planning to stay only briefly. Housing here 130 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:50.920 was modest and tightly packed. Many families lived in older 131 00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:54.839 brick homes and underground vegetable root sellers were used quite often, 132 00:06:54.839 --> 00:06:57.240 and to store some of this food through the winter. 133 00:06:58.199 --> 00:07:01.399 These cellars were common and nearly ever household had one, 134 00:07:01.639 --> 00:07:03.519 and no one saw them as anything more than a 135 00:07:03.560 --> 00:07:06.439 practical necessity, because that's exactly what they were. This is 136 00:07:06.480 --> 00:07:09.959 a farmland area where people grew and stored food and 137 00:07:10.240 --> 00:07:13.839 kept it, and it was simple living. Now, social life 138 00:07:13.839 --> 00:07:16.800 for many was limited to and their evenings were usually 139 00:07:16.839 --> 00:07:20.439 spent at their home or with neighbors. News spread by 140 00:07:20.439 --> 00:07:23.399 word of mouth, and personal problems were rarely shared outside 141 00:07:23.439 --> 00:07:27.439 of the family. Reporting conflicts or abuse or disappearances to 142 00:07:27.519 --> 00:07:33.160 authority was pretty uncommon, especially in working class neighborhoods. Local 143 00:07:33.199 --> 00:07:36.959 police focused mostly on theft, small disputes in public order. 144 00:07:37.439 --> 00:07:41.560 Serious violent crimes were pretty rare, and missing persons reports 145 00:07:41.680 --> 00:07:45.680 were often even treated as temporary absences, since many people 146 00:07:45.759 --> 00:07:48.360 left town for work without warning and returned weeks later. 147 00:07:49.480 --> 00:07:52.879 Now the town looked like countless other rural communities in 148 00:07:52.920 --> 00:07:57.439 northern China. It was quiet, hard working, and largely invisible 149 00:07:57.439 --> 00:08:00.639 to the rest of the country. Nothing about it suggested 150 00:08:00.680 --> 00:08:03.319 that within a few years it would become linked to 151 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:07.199 one of the most disturbing criminal cases in the region's history. 152 00:08:08.120 --> 00:08:11.920 And it all started on the afternoon of October twenty second, 153 00:08:12.199 --> 00:08:17.279 nineteen ninety one. Officers were conducting routine surveillance at Sushoe 154 00:08:17.399 --> 00:08:20.560 Railway station as part of their broader provincial operation, which 155 00:08:20.600 --> 00:08:24.560 was targeting theft, fraud, and extortion schemes. At the time, 156 00:08:24.920 --> 00:08:27.759 the train station was among the busiest and most crime 157 00:08:27.839 --> 00:08:32.480 prone public space in northern China. A lot of travelers 158 00:08:32.519 --> 00:08:34.879 went through here every day, and many of them carrying 159 00:08:34.879 --> 00:08:37.759 a lot of cash too, not to mention, they're unfamiliar 160 00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:40.279 with the area and reluctant to report any minor crimes 161 00:08:40.279 --> 00:08:45.240 that occurred. So pickpocketing and small scale robberies were pretty common, 162 00:08:45.879 --> 00:08:50.080 and so were organized scams, particularly a scheme police referred 163 00:08:50.080 --> 00:08:52.919 to as the Badger game, which was a form of 164 00:08:52.919 --> 00:08:56.799 extortion that relied on a combination of both sexual entrapment 165 00:08:57.039 --> 00:09:01.759 and intimidation. Officers assign to these patrols were trained to 166 00:09:01.799 --> 00:09:06.279 watch very closely for any subtle behavior patterns, things like 167 00:09:06.799 --> 00:09:12.440 mismatched companions, nervous body language and rehearsed sort of flirtation lines, 168 00:09:12.480 --> 00:09:18.559 and people positioning themselves near conversations but yet not engaging. 169 00:09:19.960 --> 00:09:23.759 On this afternoon, one police officer noticed a woman approaching 170 00:09:23.759 --> 00:09:28.600 a lone male traveler near the platform. She was well dressed, confident, 171 00:09:28.759 --> 00:09:31.679 and very direct with him. Within minutes, the two were 172 00:09:31.799 --> 00:09:36.360 laughing and standing unusually close. Her manner was openly flirtatious, 173 00:09:36.399 --> 00:09:40.360 and to trained officers this looked a lot like some solicitation. 174 00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:44.200 Now what true The officer's attention further, though, was that 175 00:09:44.360 --> 00:09:47.320 a short distance away were two men that were watching 176 00:09:47.360 --> 00:09:50.639 the pair very closely. They didn't interact with them, but 177 00:09:50.679 --> 00:09:54.679 they maintained constant visual contact. When the woman and the 178 00:09:54.759 --> 00:09:58.799 traveler moved, the men adjusted their position, and when they stopped, 179 00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:02.840 the men stopped. One of the men looked quite large 180 00:10:02.919 --> 00:10:06.200 and physically strong, dressed in thick work clothes, and he 181 00:10:06.240 --> 00:10:09.639 had a posture of someone who was used to manual labor. 182 00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:13.799 The other man, however, was noticeably different. He was clean cut, 183 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:18.360 dressed nice, and well groomed. The officer watched for a 184 00:10:18.399 --> 00:10:21.080 moment and quietly alerted his partner that he likely found 185 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:26.120 a badger game in progress. Now, these groups typically worked 186 00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:29.000 in threes. A woman to lure in a target into 187 00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:32.679 a private space. One man would then appear and pretend 188 00:10:32.759 --> 00:10:35.600 to be angry, be the husband or the partner of 189 00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:38.799 this woman. The second man would act as a mediator, 190 00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:42.320 offering a resolution or resolve to the situation in exchange 191 00:10:42.320 --> 00:10:44.559 for money. Just pay him off and like that's fine. 192 00:10:45.480 --> 00:10:48.200 So the goal it wasn't exactly to end in any 193 00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:51.360 sort of violence, but instead to use embarrassment or fear 194 00:10:52.080 --> 00:10:54.159 to end up with the victim paying his way out 195 00:10:54.159 --> 00:10:57.399 of the situation. So most victims in the scenario, they 196 00:10:57.440 --> 00:10:59.799 do just that, they pay, they leave without reporting the 197 00:10:59.879 --> 00:11:00.759 US whatsoever. 198 00:11:01.399 --> 00:11:04.080 Hmm okay, I haven't heard anything like that before. 199 00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:08.200 It's it's a unique scenario. It's something that's definitely clever 200 00:11:08.600 --> 00:11:10.320 when you think about it, because it puts a lot 201 00:11:10.360 --> 00:11:13.279 of stress and embarrassment on the victim. So you have 202 00:11:13.320 --> 00:11:16.840 a woman who's, you know, soliciting sex to him for money. 203 00:11:17.159 --> 00:11:19.080 Okay, so I was going to ask. So she's coming 204 00:11:19.080 --> 00:11:19.840 across like she. 205 00:11:20.120 --> 00:11:21.440 Yeh sex worker. Yes. 206 00:11:21.559 --> 00:11:21.919 Okay. 207 00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:24.559 So they actually I talk about this here in a minute, 208 00:11:24.559 --> 00:11:26.799 but they predetermined a price. They're talking about price and 209 00:11:26.799 --> 00:11:29.919 they agree, like, yes, sex for money, what's the price? 210 00:11:29.960 --> 00:11:31.200 That's what these two are talking about. 211 00:11:31.320 --> 00:11:31.840 Oh shit. 212 00:11:32.600 --> 00:11:35.039 In that is when the second guy is like, hey, 213 00:11:35.080 --> 00:11:37.720 that's my wife, Like what are you doing? And then 214 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:40.000 it gets like this confrontation coming and then the third 215 00:11:40.039 --> 00:11:41.960 guy comes in and he kind of separates everyone, and 216 00:11:41.960 --> 00:11:44.120 he's like, okay, miss it just paid, you know what, 217 00:11:44.600 --> 00:11:47.080 instead of like going to police or escalating this, just 218 00:11:47.080 --> 00:11:49.360 give him a couple hundred whatever and we move on. 219 00:11:49.879 --> 00:11:53.120 Okay, Because I was thinking, like, the victims not necessarily 220 00:11:54.159 --> 00:11:57.879 doing anything wrong per se, like to be super embarrassed about. 221 00:11:57.960 --> 00:12:00.840 But then I guess it is probably illegal and they 222 00:12:00.840 --> 00:12:03.200 could go to the cops, and yeah, okay. 223 00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:05.240 So if he's soliciting sex, then that puts him in 224 00:12:05.279 --> 00:12:08.519 a scenario where he doesn't want to contact authority, right, Okay, But. 225 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:10.919 I mean the woman wouldn't also either, right, So I 226 00:12:10.919 --> 00:12:11.279 don't know. 227 00:12:11.919 --> 00:12:13.840 But it's not about the woman. It's about putting pressure 228 00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:16.080 in the victim because that woman is part of the team, 229 00:12:16.399 --> 00:12:17.519 so she already. 230 00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:19.440 Knows okay, interest, So now you. 231 00:12:19.320 --> 00:12:23.039 Have three people against one person who the one person's 232 00:12:23.080 --> 00:12:25.759 put in a generally bad situation, right, Yeah, just wants 233 00:12:25.799 --> 00:12:27.559 to just get out of the situation and just move 234 00:12:27.600 --> 00:12:31.720 on totally. So the officers watched this, and they watched 235 00:12:31.759 --> 00:12:33.559 as this woman led the traveler away from the main 236 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:36.960 concourse area and towards a narrow alley beside the train station, 237 00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:39.039 and the two men followed, but at a little bit 238 00:12:39.039 --> 00:12:41.960 of a distance. Now, once inside the alley, that's when 239 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:45.639 the situation unfolded according to the pattern that officers already 240 00:12:45.679 --> 00:12:48.759 recognized and they knew was coming too. The woman stood 241 00:12:48.759 --> 00:12:51.600 close to the traveler, touching his arm and speaking softly, 242 00:12:51.960 --> 00:12:54.759 and after a brief exchange, that's when the larger of 243 00:12:54.759 --> 00:12:57.960 the two men stepped forward and forcefully pushed this traveler 244 00:12:58.039 --> 00:13:01.799 against the wall. And that's where things changed. The larger 245 00:13:01.799 --> 00:13:03.919 man raises his voice and he accuses the victim of 246 00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:06.159 molesting his wife and like, what are you doing, Like, 247 00:13:06.200 --> 00:13:08.759 that's my wife's sort of thing, like yeah, And so 248 00:13:08.879 --> 00:13:12.480 the sudden confrontation, it catches the traveler off guard. And 249 00:13:12.519 --> 00:13:15.200 now he tried to explain that the woman presented herself 250 00:13:15.240 --> 00:13:16.960 as a sex worker and that the money had already 251 00:13:17.000 --> 00:13:20.559 been discussed, right predetermined. But the explanation, of course, to 252 00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:25.039 this bigger guy goes unanswered and basically ignored. So that 253 00:13:25.159 --> 00:13:29.360 bigger guy, the large man, continued shouting threatening violence at 254 00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:32.480 this individual. He even slapped the woman and accused her 255 00:13:32.559 --> 00:13:36.799 of betraying him, building up this facade. Now. Moments later, 256 00:13:36.919 --> 00:13:39.799 the second man then stepped in and he positioned himself 257 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:43.120 as the calmer presence. He claimed that the woman's he 258 00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:45.039 was the woman's brother in law, and he suggested that 259 00:13:45.080 --> 00:13:48.039 the conflict could be resolved just privately, right, like it's okay, 260 00:13:48.080 --> 00:13:50.919 Like we can just resolve this here. And he warned 261 00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:53.600 that this guy, this big guy, had recently been released 262 00:13:53.639 --> 00:13:56.679 from prison and was unstable, implying that, you know, any 263 00:13:56.679 --> 00:13:59.639 further resistance could lead to some serious harm. So not 264 00:13:59.679 --> 00:14:01.840 only can you not go to police, but if you 265 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:04.799 don't give us what we're after, you're likely going to 266 00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:07.240 get hurt. So pay now and just end it well. 267 00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:10.480 And they're also very much so aware that this person 268 00:14:10.600 --> 00:14:13.240 has money, because they were just about to pay for 269 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:16.679 this act, right exactly, So now they're having to pay 270 00:14:16.679 --> 00:14:20.320 the money, I guess without getting anything in return exactly. 271 00:14:20.639 --> 00:14:23.440 So this is all this psychological build up and pressure. 272 00:14:24.440 --> 00:14:28.399 Now that's when this business man or whatever he says, 273 00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:31.440 three hundred I'm probably gonna get this wrong, going to 274 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:33.840 try my best, you on, I think, is how you 275 00:14:33.879 --> 00:14:37.600 pronounced the currency there, So three hundred dollars basically in 276 00:14:37.720 --> 00:14:41.799 Chinese currency in exchange for resolving this confrontation. Pay up, 277 00:14:41.840 --> 00:14:43.759 you know what, we'll move on. It's all good. You 278 00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:47.679 can go on. Everyone's happy now. The officers were watching this, remember, 279 00:14:47.960 --> 00:14:51.159 and they were preparing to intervene. But before they could act, however, 280 00:14:51.360 --> 00:14:53.960 this is when things went a little different than normally. 281 00:14:54.559 --> 00:14:58.399 The victim reacted in a way that was unexpected. Instead 282 00:14:58.440 --> 00:15:01.679 of simply complying like everyone how else generally does, he 283 00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:07.120 actually challenged the men and suggested involving the police. Oh okay, yes, 284 00:15:07.799 --> 00:15:11.480 now this response went against the group's typical routine. People 285 00:15:11.559 --> 00:15:14.159 usually just pay up. They're not used to this. Uh huh, 286 00:15:14.559 --> 00:15:17.919 So now off their usual script to act. The second man, 287 00:15:18.039 --> 00:15:20.159 who had been acting as the mediator, the business guy, 288 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:23.799 He became visibly angry right away, and he struck the traveler, 289 00:15:24.039 --> 00:15:26.360 and the larger men joined in. They jumped him there 290 00:15:26.360 --> 00:15:29.279 on the spot, and it was no longer just a 291 00:15:29.320 --> 00:15:32.759 stage confrontation. It had turned into a genuine assault. So 292 00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:37.440 officers moved quickly and identified themselves, ordering everyone to stop. 293 00:15:38.039 --> 00:15:41.159 All three suspects attempted to flee the scene as fast 294 00:15:41.200 --> 00:15:44.000 as they could, running all in the same direction. However, 295 00:15:44.600 --> 00:15:48.399 backup units had already been called and positioned nearby, so 296 00:15:48.879 --> 00:15:52.639 they were intercepted within minutes and taken into custody. Without 297 00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:56.960 any sort of further resistance. All three of these suspects 298 00:15:57.000 --> 00:15:59.799 were transported to the local police station and placed in 299 00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:05.000 separate interrogation rooms. Immediately, officers began their routine inventory check 300 00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:07.519 of the personal belongings that were on all three of them. 301 00:16:07.879 --> 00:16:11.440 The woman's bag contained a modest amount of cash, cosmetics, 302 00:16:11.440 --> 00:16:16.000 and personal items. The larger man's belongings were similarly unremarkable. 303 00:16:16.600 --> 00:16:20.559 It was the bag carried by the well dressed man, however, 304 00:16:20.840 --> 00:16:25.080 that began to raise some questions. Inside, officers found a 305 00:16:25.320 --> 00:16:28.200 large amount of cash, far more than would normally be 306 00:16:28.279 --> 00:16:32.039 associated with, you know, just a low level street scam group. 307 00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:36.480 They also discovered multiple identification documents that did not belong 308 00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:40.879 to this individual. These included foreign issued IDs and traveler 309 00:16:41.000 --> 00:16:44.639 papers that bear different names and photographs on them, none 310 00:16:44.679 --> 00:16:47.960 of which matched the man in custody. Even more concerning 311 00:16:48.080 --> 00:16:51.759 was a collection of pharmaceutical substances that he had. Some 312 00:16:51.799 --> 00:16:56.519 were sedatives and others were drugs commonly used to induce unconsciousness, 313 00:16:56.519 --> 00:17:01.879 made for incapacitating someone very quickly. Now they definitely weren't 314 00:17:02.039 --> 00:17:06.319 recreational drugs. I need to clarify that. This immediately shifted 315 00:17:06.359 --> 00:17:09.160 the tone of the investigation because people running these schemes 316 00:17:09.200 --> 00:17:12.839 relied on intimidation, not on drugs, so this actually suggested 317 00:17:12.839 --> 00:17:17.160 they were running something else, something a lot darker, involving, 318 00:17:17.240 --> 00:17:22.279 you know, isolating victims and rendering them helpless. Even officers 319 00:17:22.359 --> 00:17:25.640 quickly decided to contact regional databases to check the foreign 320 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:29.799 identification documents that they had, and the results were unsettling. 321 00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:33.559 Several of the names they found on these IDs were 322 00:17:33.559 --> 00:17:38.240 associated with missing persons reports. In some cases, the individuals 323 00:17:38.279 --> 00:17:42.039 had been reported missing months earlier after traveling through northern China, 324 00:17:42.519 --> 00:17:45.559 and none of them had been located whatsoever. They've not 325 00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:49.359 been found. So these are all ideas associated with missing people. 326 00:17:49.799 --> 00:17:52.480 Okay, that's pretty alarming. 327 00:17:52.559 --> 00:17:55.400 Fine, there it is now. The two men were the 328 00:17:55.400 --> 00:17:58.000 first to be questioned. The larger man, who had acted 329 00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:00.720 as the muscle you know in the alleyway conferdence. He 330 00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:04.720 remained mostly silent. He answered basic identity questions but didn't 331 00:18:04.759 --> 00:18:08.559 offer much else. When it came to the well dressed businessman, though, 332 00:18:08.680 --> 00:18:12.400 he spoke calmly and very confidently, presenting himself as someone 333 00:18:12.400 --> 00:18:15.240 who just made a poor choice. He admitted to participating 334 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:18.440 in this extortion scheme. But he denied any violence, saying 335 00:18:18.440 --> 00:18:21.079 the group was just harmless scammers and playing down the 336 00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:24.880 role of it. But neither Man's accounts explained the sedatives 337 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:28.319 or the missing person's connections with the IDs and their possession. 338 00:18:28.680 --> 00:18:30.720 Okay, I just have to say, that's kind of funny 339 00:18:30.759 --> 00:18:32.519 because now he's like, yeah, I just want to be 340 00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:36.000 like part of a little minor scam and not open 341 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:38.880 this like big can of worms that they discovered in 342 00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:40.920 his bag. Now. 343 00:18:40.920 --> 00:18:43.960 Investigators then turned their attention to the woman to see 344 00:18:43.960 --> 00:18:46.559 what she would say, and from the very beginning her 345 00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:50.039 demeanor was well, it was different than the other two. 346 00:18:50.240 --> 00:18:54.200 Unlike them, she appeared anxious rather than defiant, and she 347 00:18:54.240 --> 00:19:00.160 avoided eye contact and often hesitated before answering even simple questions. 348 00:19:00.160 --> 00:19:03.200 Initially approached her very gently, they figured that maybe she was, 349 00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:06.640 you know, a minor participant or possibly even being exploited 350 00:19:06.680 --> 00:19:09.559 by the other two, and after several hours of questioning, 351 00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:13.200 her answers to questions grew shorter, her hands began to 352 00:19:13.240 --> 00:19:17.519 tremble even more, and at one point, well she started 353 00:19:17.519 --> 00:19:20.440 to ask some questions of her own. First, she asked, 354 00:19:20.440 --> 00:19:23.799 you know, can she get some feminine hygiene products? And 355 00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:26.200 some other things like that, and she's trying to talk 356 00:19:26.240 --> 00:19:30.079 to investigators, and eventually she told them, I need to 357 00:19:30.119 --> 00:19:36.000 talk to the director of homicide. This statement alone made 358 00:19:36.039 --> 00:19:38.799 the hair on the back of the investigator's next stand up. 359 00:19:38.799 --> 00:19:42.759 On end. It suggested that she believed her information, whatever 360 00:19:42.839 --> 00:19:49.960 it was, involved deaths, not just financial crimes. Investigators immediately 361 00:19:49.960 --> 00:19:55.160 paused the interview and contacted their superiors. When questioning resumed 362 00:19:55.160 --> 00:19:58.200 with the senior officers, the woman told them that the 363 00:19:58.200 --> 00:20:01.880 two men that were with her not just scammers. She 364 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:07.920 said they were connected to multiple different murders. According to her, 365 00:20:08.799 --> 00:20:12.039 dozens of people had been killed and buried beneath the 366 00:20:12.119 --> 00:20:15.400 house in Nihe. She claimed the bodies were hidden in 367 00:20:15.480 --> 00:20:19.720 pits beneath the kitchen floor. Now, at first, officers struggled 368 00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:22.440 to understand what she was even saying her story sounded 369 00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:26.000 so extreme, even implausible. Mass murder on the scale that 370 00:20:26.039 --> 00:20:29.000 she was talking about was almost unheard of in the region, 371 00:20:29.680 --> 00:20:33.119 and sensing officers hesitation, she tried to explain her urgency 372 00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:37.160 in a flat, resigned tone, even as if she's already 373 00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:40.319 accepting her fate. She knows what's going to come of this, 374 00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:44.079 but she's still blatantly needing to get it out. Quote. 375 00:20:44.599 --> 00:20:46.960 If you listen to me, you will be a hero. 376 00:20:47.799 --> 00:20:53.319 You will save people, but I will be executed. Quote. 377 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:56.400 It sure's not taking very much for her to come 378 00:20:56.440 --> 00:21:00.240 about all this, though, hey and share her story. I 379 00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:02.640 guess she just realized she's fucked. It's going to come 380 00:21:02.640 --> 00:21:03.279 out anyway. 381 00:21:03.720 --> 00:21:05.920 Maybe maybe, but it's I don't know. 382 00:21:05.960 --> 00:21:09.519 I'm surprised that she's just like ooh right away. But 383 00:21:09.759 --> 00:21:12.039 maybe she also needs to get off her chest. 384 00:21:11.920 --> 00:21:15.039 Like you said, or maybe there's more to it that 385 00:21:15.079 --> 00:21:15.920 you don't know yet. 386 00:21:16.279 --> 00:21:18.720 Touche. We we're very new into this, aren't we. 387 00:21:19.480 --> 00:21:22.559 Dunt dun duh. Okay, I'm going to continue now. As 388 00:21:22.599 --> 00:21:25.079 she went on, she wasn't vague but very specific in 389 00:21:25.119 --> 00:21:28.640 her detailing. Investigators took very careful notes and asked her 390 00:21:28.640 --> 00:21:31.680 to repeat all these details, and each time her account 391 00:21:31.720 --> 00:21:34.200 remained consistent, it didn't change when they asked her to 392 00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:38.119 repeat it. At this stage, police could not confirm whether 393 00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:40.519 she was telling the truth or not, but they couldn't 394 00:21:40.559 --> 00:21:44.680 dismiss her either, So after the statement was formally recorded, 395 00:21:45.119 --> 00:21:49.559 investigators faced an immediate problem. Her account pointed to a 396 00:21:49.680 --> 00:21:52.559 mass scale murderer. Operation in Nihi, but there was no 397 00:21:52.680 --> 00:21:55.480 active case on record that matched what she was describing. 398 00:21:56.160 --> 00:22:00.319 So before committing to you know, spending resources such a 399 00:22:00.359 --> 00:22:04.119 serious allegation, they needed to confirm with the local authorities first. 400 00:22:04.920 --> 00:22:08.880 So an officer contacted the Kniehe City Police Security Bureau 401 00:22:09.279 --> 00:22:12.400