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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Search for murdered pair's lodger | Search for murdered pair's lodger |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Police hunting the killers of a Chinese couple are trying to trace a lodger who they say rented a room from the pair a week before they died. | Police hunting the killers of a Chinese couple are trying to trace a lodger who they say rented a room from the pair a week before they died. |
| Zhen Xing Yang and girlfriend Xi Zhou, both 25, were found dead at the flat they shared in Newcastle on 9 August. | Zhen Xing Yang and girlfriend Xi Zhou, both 25, were found dead at the flat they shared in Newcastle on 9 August. |
| Mr Zhen had been tortured before being stabbed to death. The couple's cat was also drowned. | Mr Zhen had been tortured before being stabbed to death. The couple's cat was also drowned. |
| Northumbria Police said they were trying to find the unidentified male lodger, thought to be a student. | Northumbria Police said they were trying to find the unidentified male lodger, thought to be a student. |
| The couple died after a "frenzied" knife attack at a flat in Newcastle's West End. | The couple died after a "frenzied" knife attack at a flat in Newcastle's West End. |
| Detectives said information on a seized computer and three mobile telephones indicated that the pair may have arranged forged professional qualifications. | Detectives said information on a seized computer and three mobile telephones indicated that the pair may have arranged forged professional qualifications. |
| But Det Supt Steve Wade, who is leading the murder hunt, said: "The level of violence used in the killings is completely disproportionate to the level of minor fraudulent activity discovered on the couple's computer thus far. | But Det Supt Steve Wade, who is leading the murder hunt, said: "The level of violence used in the killings is completely disproportionate to the level of minor fraudulent activity discovered on the couple's computer thus far. |
| A layout of the couple's Newcastle flat Enlarge Image | |
| "We must not lose sight of the fact that they are victims of a senseless killing and their parents and friends are left devastated and unable to comprehend what has happened." | "We must not lose sight of the fact that they are victims of a senseless killing and their parents and friends are left devastated and unable to comprehend what has happened." |
| Mr Wade said it had emerged the couple advertised one of their bedrooms for rent by placing an advert on a website aimed at local Chinese people, which displayed two photographs of the flat together with a contact mobile telephone number. | Mr Wade said it had emerged the couple advertised one of their bedrooms for rent by placing an advert on a website aimed at local Chinese people, which displayed two photographs of the flat together with a contact mobile telephone number. |
| He added: "We now believe that an unidentified male rented a room from the couple on or about 1 August. | He added: "We now believe that an unidentified male rented a room from the couple on or about 1 August. |
| "On 3 or 4 August Mr Zhen routinely contacted his mother in China via telephone and informed her that he had taken on a new lodger. | "On 3 or 4 August Mr Zhen routinely contacted his mother in China via telephone and informed her that he had taken on a new lodger. |
| "He informed his mother that the new lodger was a student and that he came from the Jinzhou area of Dalian City. | "He informed his mother that the new lodger was a student and that he came from the Jinzhou area of Dalian City. |
| "We have no further information to identify the lodger and enquiries to trace him have so far failed. | "We have no further information to identify the lodger and enquiries to trace him have so far failed. |
| "We urgently need to identify this unknown lodger who could have vital information to assist the murder investigation, and to eliminate him from our inquiries." | "We urgently need to identify this unknown lodger who could have vital information to assist the murder investigation, and to eliminate him from our inquiries." |
| Xi Zhou (standing, right) during a night out with friends in Newcastle | Xi Zhou (standing, right) during a night out with friends in Newcastle |
| New images of the couple during a night out and on a trip to Alnwick Castle in Northumberland have been released, along with a floor plan of the property. | |
| The photos were found on a computer recovered from their flat. | The photos were found on a computer recovered from their flat. |
| The couple's bodies were found by friends in separate bedrooms at the ground-floor flat. | |
| Mr Wade said: "We have set up a stand-alone e-mail address which is northumbriapolice@ymail.com. | |
| "This has been set up to allow people to contact Northumbria Police and they can leave messages in their chosen language. | "This has been set up to allow people to contact Northumbria Police and they can leave messages in their chosen language. |
| "The e-mail address has been set up in response to an internet chat room on powerapple.com where we have posted an appeal in both English and Chinese." | "The e-mail address has been set up in response to an internet chat room on powerapple.com where we have posted an appeal in both English and Chinese." |