Close X
Thursday, January 9, 2025
ADVT 
International

Man Loses His Ability to Speak After Pretending to Be Mute for 12 Years

Darpan News Desk IANS, 28 Dec, 2017 11:49 AM
    A suspected murderer who had evaded capture for 12 years by pretending to be a mute has allegedly lost his ability to speak, Chinese media recently reported.
     
     
    The Chinese man, identified only by his surname 'Zheng', had been charged with murdering his wife's uncle, a Mr. Cao, in a dispute over a 500 yuan ($76) rent, back in 2005. 
     
     
    During one of their heated arguments, Zheng, then 33, allegedly stabbed Mr. Cai, then ran from his home in Hangzhou, China's Zhejiang Province, before authorities cou
     
     
    Zheng eventually settled in a small village in Anhui Province, 700 km north of Hangzhou, where he began working in construction, while staying true to his mute persona. He even got a new wife and fathered a child, but never spoke a word to them, for fear of saying something that could blow his cover.
     
     
    Unfortunately for Zheng, his 12 years of self-imposed silence couldn't help him during a household survey conducted by police, earlier this year. His lack of any kind of identification papers made them suspicious, so they took a sample of his blood and used his DNA to check his identity. That's how they learned that Wang Gui was actually Zheng, the murder suspect who had disappeared over a decade ago.
     
     
    However, police soon learned something bizarre about the alleged murderer. Even though he had pretended to be a mute for over a decade, he appeared to have truly lost his ability to speak. According to the Zhejiang Daily newspaper, the man's vocal chords had wasted away due to lack of use over such a long period of time and had eventually become useless.
     
     
    Zheng only communicated with police officers in writing. Asked why he had pretended to be a mute for so long, the man wrote, "The less I say, the less chance I'll make a mistake."
     
     
    It's unclear whether Zheng's muteness can be reversed, but that may not matter too much, as he faces a possible death sentence if convicted of the murder he allegedly committed 12 years ago.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    Attack On Sikh Cab Driver Troubling: Top US Lawmaker

    Attack On Sikh Cab Driver Troubling: Top US Lawmaker
    Reports indicate this could have been a hate crime, which makes this unacceptable attack all the more horrifying," Congressman Joe Crowley, chairman of the Democratic Caucus, said in a statement.

    Attack On Sikh Cab Driver Troubling: Top US Lawmaker

    Indian-Origin CEO In US Beats Wife; Offered 1 Month Jail: Report

    Indian-Origin CEO In US Beats Wife; Offered 1 Month Jail: Report
    Abhishek Gattani, 38, pleaded "no contest" when his wife approached the police

    Indian-Origin CEO In US Beats Wife; Offered 1 Month Jail: Report

    Pakistani Women Track Down, Kill Man Accused Of Blasphemy A Decade Ago

    Pakistani Women Track Down, Kill Man Accused Of Blasphemy A Decade Ago
    Three women dressed in burqas killed a man who had been accused of blasphemy in 2004 in a northeastern Pakistani town, police said on Thursday, the second brutal killing over alleged insults to Islam in a week.

    Pakistani Women Track Down, Kill Man Accused Of Blasphemy A Decade Ago

    'You're A Disgrace! Go Back To India': Woman Yells At Ireland Train Passengers

    'You're A Disgrace! Go Back To India': Woman Yells At Ireland Train Passengers
    A woman hurled racist abuse at passengers on a train in Ireland, telling one of them to "f*** off back to India" after he placed a bag on an empty seat.

    'You're A Disgrace! Go Back To India': Woman Yells At Ireland Train Passengers

    Indian-American CEO Who Made Maid 'Sleep Near Dogs' Told To Pay $135k

    Indian-American CEO Who Made Maid 'Sleep Near Dogs' Told To Pay $135k
    An Indian-American CEO has been ordered to pay US$ 135,000 to her former domestic worker after a Labour Department investigation found she underpaid and mistreated her.

    Indian-American CEO Who Made Maid 'Sleep Near Dogs' Told To Pay $135k

    Indo-US Hotelier Vikram Chatwal Gets Community Service In Dog-Torching Incident

    Indo-US Hotelier Vikram Chatwal Gets Community Service In Dog-Torching Incident
    Prominent Indian-American hotelier Vikram Chatwal has been ordered to do five days of community service and barred from owning a pet for five years for trying to set two dogs on fire.

    Indo-US Hotelier Vikram Chatwal Gets Community Service In Dog-Torching Incident