Newcastle murders: manhunt launched

Detectives investigating the murders of two Chinese graduates have launched a manhunt.

Police wish to speak to three people a witness spotted outside Zhen Xing Yang and his girlfriend Xi Zhou's flat less than an hour after one of them was last seen alive.

The mutilated bodies of the 25-year-olds were found in separate rooms of the ground floor flat on Croydon Road, in Newcastle's West End, on August 9.

Police believe Mr Yang, known as Kevin, was tortured for up to an hour before he was hacked and stabbed to death by his killers who then turned on the Wagamamas noodle bar waitress.

The couple's cat was drowned by their killers.

"We have spoken to a female witness who was walking home at 5pm past Croydon Road on Thursday August 7, less than one hour after Ms Xi was last seen alive. The witness saw three people standing at the front gate to 8 Croydon Road," a Northumbria Police spokesman said.

"Two of the individuals had their backs to her. She could not see what they looked like or whether they were men or women. However, they were a similar height to the third individual, who she got a good look at."

The witness described the third individual as a man of Chinese appearance in his late 20s or early 30s, 5ft 4ins with short dark hair and of plump build.

He was wearing silver rimmed glasses, light blue jeans, a short sleeved white and light blue football-style top, possibly with a logo on the front in the centre.

Det Supt Steve Wade of Northumbria Police said: "It is important for us to trace these three and speak to them as they may have important information.

"I am asking that anyone who has seen these three, or who has any information about them, contact my officers at once."

Internet users on UK-based Mandarin websites had identified Mr Zhen as a recruitment agent for a gambling racket which relied on the results of live Premier League football games being shown a couple of minutes later in China to beat the bookies.

Police became aware of Mr Zhen's links to alleged passport forgery, fake visa and qualification documentation, and an internet football betting scam early in their murder investigation.

Detectives have been following the rumours and threats posted on internet sites from people said to have been employed by Mr Yang to help fix the outcome of betting on the results of games in the Premier League and other countries, shown in China.

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