An unsuspecting rental tenant in a modest property in China was shocked to discover from a short video that his home was the scene of a grisly murder 10 years ago.
The revelation surfaced on July 22 when a Douyin blogger, who specialises in analysing criminal cases, posted a video detailing a bizarre murder that took place in March 2014 in Jilin city, Jilin province in northeastern China.
It involved the disappearance of a woman who was showing the rental property to prospective tenants on behalf of her friends.
Her body was later found inside the property, covered by a patterned red pillow.
Crucial evidence, including shredded paper found in the toilet that was pieced together into a rental agreement – along with elevator surveillance footage – helped the police identify the suspects as two prospective tenants the woman had shown the property to.
The video featured a detailed look at the crime scene, all sourced from a legal programme on the state television broadcaster CCTV.
Hours after the video was posted, an online observer called Xingxinzhe shocked viewers by posting a message under the video saying that he was living in the property.
Xingxinzhe added that he and his younger brother who lived there together were unaware of its dark history .
He filmed a walkthrough video of the duplex, titled “Come to See If You Don’t Believe”, which showed the decor and layout of the flat.
Internet sleuths quickly noted striking similarities between the murder scene and the tenant’s home.
For example, the refrigerator, patterned red sofa cushions, spiral staircase, and other furniture, were all the same as the murder scene outlined in the video.
One online viewer said: “Ten years later, they haven’t even replaced the pillow that covered the body.”
Another asked humorously: “What brand is that refrigerator? It is still working after 10 years.”
The tenant disclosed that the rent had not been reduced despite the property’s history.
“It’s not cheap. It was initially priced at 1,200 yuan (US$165) a month, then negotiated down to 1,100 yuan.”
After finding out about the property’s gruesome past, the tenant was unable to contact its owner and has since moved out.
Yi Xu, a partner at the Hunan King Zone Lawyer Office, told Xiaoxiang Morning Herald that the tenant could demand compensation if the homeowner and agent failed to disclose the property’s history during the rental agreement process.
The story has left many people on mainland social media stunned.
One person said: “Of all things, the pillow used to cover the victim’s face wasn’t thrown away but continued to be used by tenants. The owner is so frugal!”
While another added: “Imagine this guy coming home to relax after a hard day’s work, scrolling through Douyin, and realising that the crime scene looks familiar. Then he realised someone was killed right next to where he sleeps every night. This is crushing. Imagine the psychological impact on this guy.”
A third person criticised the owner: “You can rent it out, but you must be upfront about the murder. It should be up to the tenants whether they want to rent it or not. Renting out a house with a murder history without disclosure is fraud.” – South China Morning Post
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