An unresolved case was solved once and for all on Oct. 18 in Zhunyi, Guizhou province, with eight suspects arrested. The defendants confessed that their motive in the murders was "to promote bravery."

Police officer Gong Yongheng described one victim of the murders, a young man who was found naked and murdered in a park on Nov. 25, 2005. The only physical evidence was cigarette butts left behind at the scene of the crime.

The case remained unsolved until September 2016, when police found a new lead by reviewing archives and physical evidence. A suspect who had inflicted deliberate, fatal injuries at an Internet cafe 10 years ago caught the attention of the investigating officers.

The suspect confessed and told the police that seven other people involved in the crimes were still in Zunyi. Once all the suspects had been arrested, they explained that they were middle school students at the time of the murders, and they had committed their crimes to "promote bravery through murder."

The eight suspects said they now regret their actions.