Murderer caught after appearing on TV dating show
A Chinese murderer who spent 13 years on the run has been captured after appearing on a television dating program.
Wu Gang was jailed in 1998 for committing murder during a pub brawl in Jilin City.
After managing to escape from jail, he changed his name from to Liu Hao and set up a new life.
He became a well-known dancer and teacher at a dance hall in the Liaoning Province. Aged in his forties, he became concerned that he hadn't found a wife so decided to appear on a popular TV dating show on Heilongjiang Province Satellite television.
The television appearance was first aired in November, and his good looks and artistic abilities saw him receive a lot of female attention from the program.
It wasn't until a repeat of the show was aired in May that a viewer realised he was a convicted murderer who had escaped from jail and reported him to police.
According to AsiaOne news, police investigated the allegations and found immense similarities between Wu Gang and Liu Hao.
Police believe he was able to elude authorities for 13 years because he thoroughly convinced himself that he was Liu Hao.
Even after his arrest, he denied his former crime before finally caving in on cross examination
He told police: "I wanted to have a spouse and be more famous by appearing on TV to live a completely new life. Had I not impulsively murdered the person, I could have been a popular celebrity."
Wu had a 7-year-old son at the time of the crime but completely cut off contact, leading the child to believe his father was dead.
