The Forgotten Crimes

04. The Missing Girls

On the morning of January 10th, news arrived that an elderly lady in the Putuo District, believed that the photograph of the victim bore a striking resemblance to her neighbor's daughter, Lang Xiaoling.

The local police station reviewed the Lang family's household registration information and confirmed that they did indeed have a daughter named Lang Xiaoling, 21 years old, a graduate of the 1968 junior high school class, who was assigned to work as a janitor in the Seventh Unloading Area of the Shanghai Port Bureau.

But there was no photograph of her in the household registration information. The head of the local police station personally visited the Lang family twice in the morning and afternoon, but on both occasions, there was no one at home.

The local police station then reported the situation to the Municipal Public Security Bureau. The special investigation team considered that Lang Xiaoling, working as a janitor, would often hold broomsticks, mop handles, and garbage truck iron handles, leading to roughened skin on her hands, which somewhat matched the victim's hands.

The special investigation team contacted the Seventh Unloading Area and inquired about Lang Xiaoling's situation. They received a response within five minutes, stating that Lang Xiaoling had not reported to work since December 15th, and her absence was marked as unauthorized leave in the company's attendance records.

This situation aligned with the forensic analysis of "having recently stopped physical labor."

During dinner time, the detectives from the special investigation team, accompanied by local police officers, visited the Lang family once again. Mr. and Mrs. Lang and their junior high school-aged son were having dinner, but Lang Xiaoling, who had been absent from work for several days, was not at home.

“We've been trying to reach Xiaoling, but she hasn't been at work for quite some time. Do you know where she might be?" the detective asked.

"Well, she's been working hard and has been under a lot of stress lately. Maybe she's taken a break to visit some relatives," Mr. Lang said, hesitating.

“Well, really? Are you sure? What relatives?”

“Uh, uh....” the father seemed nervous. “Actually, officers, there's something we haven't told you. Xiaoling went out of Shanghai to her aunt’s home in Jiangsu Province for a personal matter.”

Under pressure, he finally confessed:

Lang Xiaoling had a boyfriend and became pregnant out of wedlock. Unable to continue the pregnancy, she had gone to Jiangsu Province for an abortion more than half a month ago. The local rural clinic had inadequate equipment, and the doctor's skills were not up to par. As a result, she experienced severe bleeding and nearly died.

“She is currently recovering in the countryside,” the mother sighed. “If her workplace had found out about this, it would have been a significant mistake. She would also face administrative penalties, warnings, and reprimands. Moreover, she would lose face. So we hadn't dared to inform her workplace and had kept the matter discreet from our neighbors.”

The special investigation team immediately sent an urgent telegram to the Jiangsu Public Security Bureau, requesting them to locate Lang Xiaoling as soon as possible and verify the Lang family's statements.

On the morning of January 11th, at 10 o'clock, the bureau sent a reply, confirming that Lang Xiaoling's abortion had indeed taken place, and she was currently recuperating at her aunt's residence.

As a result, Lang Xiaoling was eliminated from the list of potential victims.

On that day, another piece of news emerged. The Zhoujiaqiao Police Station in Changning District reported that a resident from the 1380 Lane of Changning Road, Ms. Tan, claimed that the deceased depicted in the "Notice" was her missing daughter, Hu Xiumei, who had been gone for two months.

Ms. Tan, a middle-aged woman with a worried expression, welcomed the detectives inside. With a heavy heart, she shared her daughter's story.

Hu Xiumei, 23 years old and an only child, had been a diligent worker at a local machine factory. She had recently completed her apprenticeship, marking a significant milestone in her life. However, on October 19, 1971, things took a dramatic turn.

That evening, after a celebratory dinner at the "Red Flag Restaurant," Hu Xiumei had told her mother that she needed to borrow some books from a classmate. Ms. Tan agreed, and the girl left with a promise to return later that night. However, as the hours passed and midnight approached, her daughter never came home.

Panicked and worried, Ms. Tan had embarked on a frantic search for her daughter. She visited the homes of Hu Xiumei's classmates, but no one had seen her. Even her daughter's classmates had taken time off work to help in the search, but it was as if Hu Xiumei had vanished without a trace.

Ms. Tan had reported her daughter's disappearance to the police, but despite their efforts, they couldn't find any leads, and the young woman remained missing.

This time, when Ms. Tan saw the "Notice," despite the swollen and distorted appearance of the deceased in the picture, which was not very clear, she was convinced that the deceased was her daughter.

The detectives carefully questioned Ms. Tan based on the information provided by the forensic experts, inquiring about Hu Xiumei's height, weight, and food preferences, among other details. Ms. Tan's responses matched the characteristics of the deceased.

The officers asked again, "Does Hu Xiumei have a birthmark?"

Ms. Tan thought for a moment and replied, "Yes, she has one, on her lower back, slightly above the waist."

"How big is it?"

Ms. Tan used her fingers to make a small circle, saying, "About this big, a little smaller than a copper cash coin."

The size and location of the birthmark also matched the characteristics of the victim.

Ms. Tan's statement was recorded and submitted to the Detective Gu and Forensic Doctor Huang. Huang believed that Hu Xiumei's features bore some resemblance to the deceased, but before confirming it entirely, they needed to compare fingerprints.

However, because they couldn't obtain Hu Xiumei's fingerprints, Huang examined her medical records to search for other distinguishing features for comparison.

The results were disappointing.

Huang pointed out that, according to Hu Xiumei's medical records, in September 1969, she had gone to the dentist to repair her third tooth from the right in the lower right row. But the teeth of the dismembered body were intact, with no signs of dental work.

Therefore, the missing person Hu Xiumei and the deceased in the "January 3rd Dismemberment Case" were two different individuals.

With conclusive evidence, Hu Xiumei was also ruled out as a match (and her disappearance case remained unsolved).