Police catch suspect for 2003 murder case

Shanghai police have taken a suspect into custody for the murder of a 72-year-old woman who was killed 10 years ago during a burglary in Zhabei district, local media reported Thursday.

The suspect, Li Xiuchuan, 29, a native of Jiangxi province, was handed over to local police after he arrived at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station at 9:22 pm Wednesday on a train from Changchun, Jilin province, according to a report in Shanghai Morning Post.

Before his arrest on February 20, Li had been working for a real estate agency in Changchun, the report said. Zhabei district police connected Li to the murder by matching his fingerprints with those left at the crime scene.

On July 30, 2003, Li broke into an apartment on Pushan Road. An elderly woman, who was alone inside, noticed the noise, so Li stabbed her to stop her from calling for help, the report said.

He left the apartment by climbing down a drain pipe.

A witness living on the ground floor, who briefly spoke with the suspect, later described him as a short, young man with an accent from outside Shanghai.

The victim was found by her son the same day, the report said. There was cash missing from the apartment. Police found little physical evidence at the scene, except for a few fingerprints left on the window.

Investigators searched for the killer for the next five months, but never came up with a suspect, despite searching through the criminal records of five provinces, the report said.

The murderer remained at large for nearly 11 years until police finally matched Li's fingerprints with those left at the scene.