In 1994, the residents of Luchong Village (Hubei, China) were buzzing over a bizarre incident. A man in the village who was serving a sentence for murdering his wife was stunned one day when his wife suddenly returned, carrying an astonishing story.
The Night She Vanished
On the evening of January 20, 1994, 29-year-old Zhang Zaiyu left her home in Luchong Village (Hubei, China). From that point on, Zhang did not return home. Zhang’s relatives were extremely worried because she had mental health and memory issues.
After an exhaustive search around the village yielded no results, Zhang’s family quickly reported her missing to the police. In parallel with the authorities’ search efforts, Zhang’s loved ones tried everything from distributing flyers to posting notices in newspapers, but the woman’s whereabouts remained untraceable.
Prior to her disappearance, Zhang Zaiyu lived with her husband, security guard She Xianglin, and their 6-year-old daughter. She was regarded as a kind, sincere woman who loved her husband and child and was amiable with everyone.
For 3 months after that, all search efforts proved fruitless. No one knew whether Zhang was still alive or had met with misfortune.
A Body in the Lake
Shockingly, on April 11, 1994, a local resident happened upon something floating in a roadside lake area. Upon closer inspection, the person was horrified to find it was a human corpse. Police immediately arrived after receiving the report.
The victim was determined to have died long ago, at least 2 months prior. Because the body was severely disfigured, authorities could not identify the victim. They only knew it was a person around 5’1″ tall and approximately 30 years old.
Notably, the victim’s skull was not intact, with 6 head wounds present. Investigators deduced that before death, the victim had been severely beaten, and then submerged in water. Although the victim’s identity remained unknown, these characteristics suggested the killer had a clear murderous motive.
After investigating, authorities concluded the body recovered from the river was likely Zhang Zaiyu, as the victim’s height and age roughly matched. While all conclusions stemmed from outward appearance, Zhang’s relatives also believed it was her body. Her mother stated the body had a surgical scar on the abdomen, further convincing her it was Zhang.
Once they determined the victim was Zhang Zaiyu, police began searching for potential suspects. Piecing together the facts, investigators listed Zhang’s husband She Xianglin as the prime suspect with an evident motive.
The Tumultuous Marriage
Before marrying, Zhang Zaiyu was a rather cheerful young woman. After her wedding, she suddenly developed a mental illness. It all stemmed from her husband and their tumultuous marriage.
Zhang Zaiyu and her husband She Xianglin got married in 1986. They had a daughter together. Their married life was quite peaceful initially. But when She Xianglin went to work in another city, everything changed completely.
Back home, Zhang noticed her husband hadn’t sent money home in a long time, leading her to grow suspicious. Eventually, her suspicions proved correct – She Xianglin had been having an affair with another woman for a long time.
Zhang Zaiyu was devastated by her husband’s betrayal. From then on, the relationship between the couple was no longer harmonious. Their home frequently rang with the sounds of quarreling. Xianglin also stopped caring about his wife and daughter.
The neighbors all knew about the discord between Zhang Zaiyu and her husband. She had even discussed it with her own family on several occasions.
Over time, unable to bear her husband’s infidelity, Zhang suffered severe psychological impacts that triggered a mental illness.
After the discovery of the body floating in the lake, which authorities and relatives believed to be Zhang Zaiyu, She Xianglin was arrested on April 22, 1994.
The Murderous Husband
When interrogated, She Xianglin initially vehemently denied everything. The man stated that although their marriage was strained, he never would have killed his own wife.
But then 6 months later, he shockingly changed his testimony. She Xianglin confessed to murdering his wife.
He told police that on the night Zhang Zaiyu disappeared after the family had gone to sleep, Xianglin took her to the lake. When she wasn’t paying attention, he struck her head and face with a rock. Caught off guard by the assault, Zhang lost consciousness. Once the victim stopped breathing, She Xianglin put her body in a sack, weighed it down with large rocks, and threw it into the water. His aim was to submerge her corpse in the lake. The motive he cited was killing his wife so he could marry his mistress.
At the initial trial, She Xianglin was sentenced to death. However, some investigators felt this case still had many suspicious points that shouldn’t lead to a hasty conviction, necessitating a retrial. So the death sentence wasn’t immediately carried out.
Meanwhile, She Xianglin’s parents believed their son couldn’t have done such a thing and suspected he was coerced into a false confession. They appealed and protested his innocence numerous times.
The higher court eventually concluded the evidence of murder and circumstances were unclear, making She Xianglin’s death sentence unconvincing. Ultimately, on June 15, 1998, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison instead.
The Astonishing Return
After the discovery of the body floating in the lake, which authorities and relatives all believed to be Zhang Zaiyu, She Xianglin was ultimately sentenced to 15 years in prison on charges of murdering his wife to live with his mistress.
It seemed the case had concluded from there, but 11 years later, just 4 years before She Xianglin’s release, a woman suddenly appeared claiming to be Zhang Zaiyu. The villagers were stunned that the woman presumed dead had actually returned alive.
On March 28, 2005, Zhang went to the police station with her family. There, she asserted she was Zhang Zaiyu, Xianglin’s wife. She was not dead, and He Xianglin had been wrongfully convicted. After conducting verification procedures, authorities confirmed this was indeed the woman believed to have died 11 years prior.
Zhang Zaiyu explained that year she had only gotten lost, but due to neurological issues, did not know how to get home, and her impaired memory meant she also forgot her hometown and real name. Zhang also stated the truth differed from She Xianglin’s confession.
According to Zhang, on the evening of January 20, 1994, she and her husband had an argument. Feeling dejected, she left the house, wandering aimlessly without paying attention to her surroundings. When she finally collected herself, Zhang was stunned to find her surroundings completely unfamiliar. She had no idea where she was or how far she had traveled.
When she left home, Zhang was wearing pants and a sweater, with nothing else on her. The woman continued walking forward, begging for food, catching rides, and sleeping in makeshift shelters. In Shandong province, she was fortunate to meet a kind man and married him. They had a 10-year-old son together.
11 Years of Injustice
For many years, Zhang Zaiyu lived without any memory of her past or hometown. Then one day, her memory suddenly returned. However, she initially hesitated to go back, thinking her ex-husband had surely remarried and was living well. She didn’t want to upend his life.
He Xianglin may never have been exonerated if Zhang didn’t feel compelled to see her daughter again. Desperately missing her child, Zhang decided to sell pigs to fund her return home, initially just wanting to check on how her daughter was doing.
Upon returning to her hometown, Zhang was astounded to learn her ex-husband was imprisoned due to her disappearance. Their daughter, who was 6 when Zhang vanished, had dropped out of school at 13 to work to support herself. “I would have come back sooner if I knew He Xianglin was in prison,” Zhang said.
Zhang Zaiyu’s return also meant He Xianglin’s release from his wrongful conviction. He was reunited with his family after years of injustice. The court ruled he was compensated 700,000 yuan for the miscarriage of justice.
Afterward, He Xianglin left his hometown for a new area. He used the compensation money to purchase a house and lived there alone.
