According to authorities, a fugitive who remained silent for two decades posing as a mute vagrant was recently arrested in Anxi County, Fujian Province.
The man, known by his surname Xiao and originally from Xiangyang, Hubei province, is believed to have killed his neighbor during an argument in 2004.
After fleeing his hometown, Xiao is said to have survived by scavenging and promoting recovered materials. He settled in a remote village in Anxi, where he took on the appearance of a mute wanderer.
Earlier this month, Xiao, now 56, was arrested by police following a scuffle with locals. It was in this investigation that the government discovered Xiao’s true identity.
Overwhelmed with relief, Xiao reportedly ended his 20-year silence. “I couldn’t take it anymore,” he confessed to police. I haven’t talked to other people in 20 years, I thought I’d go crazy. “
“Because of his symbol of deaf and dumb, he rarely communicated with anyone,” said Zhang Zhiwei, a police officer in Xiangyang. “People just greeted him and left. That’s how it managed to evade detection for so long. “
On May 11, Xiao returned to Xiangyang to face fines similar to those for the 2004 incident. He remains in police custody.