Fugitives typically go out of their way to avoid the public eye, but netizens claim one fugitive could be hiding in plain sight.
Zhao Shilei | Bilibili via SCMP
In August of 2006, a fatal stabbing took place in the city of Xilinhot, China, but the killer was never caught. Now, 18 years later, an influencer who bears a striking resemblance to a composite sketch of one murder suspect is being accused of committing the crime.
Zhao Shilei and the composite sketch | Bilibili via SCMP
37-year-old Zhao Shilei rose to internet fame by creating video content on the platform Kuaishou about entertainment industry scandals. In April, after police issued a wanted notice with composite sketches of two suspects and a 200,000 yuan (US$28,000) reward for clues, calls about Zhao Shilei started coming in.
This is the first time I’ve experienced the maliciousness of people online, who condemn without cause.
I am willing to cooperate with the police in all investigations to prove my innocence as quickly as possible. I don’t want this kind of attention.
— Zhao Shilei
To prove his innocence, Zhao Shilei shared photos of himself from 2006 and pointed out that he lived in Shanghai, over 1,000 miles away from Xilinhot, at the time of the murder.
Zhao Shilei in 2006 | Bilibili via SCMP
Some netizens, however, are not convinced. Some pointed out that although the influencer lived in Shangai in 2006, the city of Hulunbuir in Inner Mongolia is his hometown. He lived there until age 9. Other netizens say Zhao Shilei has more in common with the murder suspect than just having a defined jaw or wearing sunglasses. At the time of the crime, he would have been the same age as the unnamed suspect: 20 years old. Netizens also claim Zhao Shiliei demonstrated volatile behavior on social media in the past.
As for the police, investigators in Xilinhot are looking into reports made about Zhao Shilei but are focusing on locals at this time. Although the influencer’s hometown is in Inner Mongolia, it’s still a 15-hour car ride away from the scene of the crime.
Our main focus is still on locals. Zhao is from Hulunbuir, which is quite far from us.
— Police
