Authorities investigating the death of a 12-year-old boy in Hsinchu City yesterday said they have uncovered disturbing information about the prime suspect’s past association with other children, adding that occult worship may have been a motive in the murder.
A 25-year-old man, surnamed Lee (李), who works at a hardware store, and another suspect, 30-year-old Chen (陳), who works at a noodle shop, were detained and held incommunicado at the Hsinchu District Prosecutors’ Office on Wednesday evening.
According to prosecutors, during questioning yesterday, Chen confessed to acting on Lee’s instruction to strangle the sixth-grader to death, after the boy was lured to Lee’s apartment to play computer games.
Forensic examination has so far indicated no sign of sexual assault on the victim.
Chen allegedly told investigators that Lee promised to pay him NT$500,000 to carry out the deed, as well as the offer of a regular job at a funeral parlor in Hsinchu City.
However, Chen said he was cheated and did not receive any payment from Lee, nor any mention of a job.
The boy, surnamed Lin (林), was found dead on Tuesday night after a search by police and his parents. Surveillance camera footage showed Lin being led away by Lee after school, instead of going to a private after-school daycare center.
According to prosecutors, Lee regained consciousness late on Wednesday night after allegedly trying to commit suicide by taking sleeping pills and spraying pesticide in his apartment.
Prosecutors said Lee was behaving erratically and speaking incoherently when he was being questioned, and at times gave contradictory replies.
Lee said he was grieving the boy’s death, and denied telling Chen to strangle the boy, prosecutors said.
Meanwhile, investigators said Lee might have been a follower of the occult practice known as “Raising a Baby Ghost” (養小鬼), which is said to have originated from Thai Buddhism’s “Kumon Tong” necromancy belief.
They said they found at another residence of Lee’s altars, offerings and Thai religious icons.
Prosecutors surmised that the boy might have been killed as part of an occult belief that possessing the victim’s spirit as a “baby ghost” would enhance the practitioner’s sorcery powers.
Police are also investigating allegations that Lee has pedophile tendencies.
After hearing news reports about the case, two male junior-high school students went to the police, accompanied by teachers and counselors, to report that Lee often went to schools around Hsinchu and befriended many children and teenagers by offering them cards containing value points for playing computer games.
The two students alleged that Lee playfully touched their genitals several times.
Police said they are in the process of verifying these and other allegations against Lee.
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