Hunan police solve 32-year-old fatal motorcycle robbery cold case

Authorities in Hunan have solved a 32-year-old cold case involving the fatal robbery of a 27-year-old motorcycle driver, Li Mouping. The incident occurred on April 15, 1994, when three suspects used rebar to attack Li during a robbery attempt, leaving over 80 wounds on his body.

Following the crime, the suspects fled. One suspect, Dai Mouqiao, moved to Inner Mongolia, changed his identity, and established a successful jewelry business. Another, He Mouhu, remained in his hometown, using the stolen funds to run a local business. A third accomplice, Zheng Mouping, surrendered to police in Zhejiang in 2019 due to psychological pressure but died by falling from a building while awaiting trial in June 2024.

After a renewed investigation in late 2023, police arrested Dai and He in March 2024. In a recent first-instance judgment, the court sentenced Dai Mouqiao to death with a two-year reprieve and He Mouhu to life imprisonment. The court determined both were primary offenders in the violent robbery that resulted in death, though He's role was deemed relatively secondary due to lack of evidence regarding direct head trauma. The defendants were also ordered to provide restitution for the stolen motorcycle and civil damages to the victim's family.