Harare, Zimbabwe – In a shocking turn of events, the bodies of a Chinese couple who had been missing since Valentine’s Day 2020 were discovered concealed in plastic drums at an Eastview dam in Harare. Lei Ding, 35, and his wife Chi Lifen, 30, disappeared without a trace after visiting a friend in Highlands, Harare, leaving their families in anguish.
The couple’s mysterious disappearance had baffled authorities for over two years. Their white Mercedes Benz ML, abandoned on Acturus Road with the keys in the ignition, raised alarm bells, leading to a full-scale police investigation.
According to Zimlive, the breakthrough in the case came when Lei Ding’s mobile phone was recovered. This vital piece of evidence allowed Zimbabwean investigators, working in collaboration with Chinese authorities, to piece together the final hours of the missing couple. Messages on the phone revealed that they had been invited for a visit by their friend, Xu Lin Lin, on that fateful Valentine’s Day.
Chinese police were quick to track down Xu Lin Lin and his friend, Luo Yengshen, who had left Zimbabwe. Their interrogation led to the implication of another Chinese national, Chen Long, residing in Avondale, Harare. Chen Long was subsequently arrested in May and charged with kidnapping and murder. However, he remained tight-lipped about the couple’s whereabouts, frustrating the investigation.
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Gruesome Discovery in Harare Dam: Bodies of Missing Chinese Couple Found Stuffed in Plastic Drums
A police diver brings to the surface one of the two drums containing the bodies of Lei Ding and his wife Chi Lifen at Eastview dam on September 28, 2023 [Image Credit: Zimlive]
A Gruesome Discovery
The case took a grim turn this week when the police Sub-Aqua Unit dispatched divers to the Eastview dam. They made a gruesome discovery—two blue plastic drums submerged in the dam, each containing the remains of Lei Ding and Chi Lifen. The discovery has sent shockwaves through the nation and the international community.
Xu Lin Lin and Luo Yengshen, currently in China, are expected to be extradited to Zimbabwe to face kidnapping and murder charges. The collaboration between Chinese and Zimbabwean detectives has been instrumental in cracking the case.
At one point, a reward of US$1 million was offered for information leading to the safe return of the couple, highlighting the seriousness of this investigation.
As this harrowing case unfolds, the world watches closely, hoping for justice to be served for Lei Ding and Chi Lifen, whose lives were tragically cut short in a mystery that has finally been unravelled.
In this tale of international collaboration and relentless pursuit of justice, the truth behind their disappearance has come to light, bringing closure to a two-year-old nightmare.-iharare
