Kuang Zhijun

Status:

Open

Death Location:

Chongqing, China

Summary:

Kuang Zhijun was a 13-year-old student whose body was discovered in bizarre circumstances on November 5, 2009, in Shuangxing Village, Dongquan Town, Banan District, Chongqing, China. Official investigations concluded it was an accidental death from positional asphyxia during autoerotic activity, though controversies persist.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Death:

Described as introverted and fond of reading supernatural stories, he was last seen alive around late October 2009. When he failed to return home or to school, his absence was initially overlooked amid a flu outbreak. On Tuesday, November 3rd, when Kuang's father could not get through to his son's phone, he called the school to inquire about his son's situation, and learned that Kuang Zhijun hadn't attended classes for several days. On November 5, 2009, his father, Kuang Jilu, returned home and discovered the body in the family's old, rarely used house. The body was found hanging from a wooden beam by the arms, with hands and feet bound using ropes tied in approximately 24 symmetrical knots (12 on each side). A large weighing stone (about 1 kg) was attached to the feet, and a chair lay overturned nearby. Kuang was dressed in a red skirt belonging to a female relative, over a black women's swimsuit, with fabric pads inserted in the chest area to simulate breasts. A small puncture wound was noted on the forehead, with deep ligature marks on the limbs but no signs of struggle, internal injuries, drugs, or theft.

Additional Details:

The forensic report estimated that Kuang had already been dead for about 48 hours, meaning he likely died sometime between November 3 and 4. Forensic team discovered traces of semen in the crotch area of Kuang Zhijun's swimsuit. He had died of asphyxiation between November 3rd and 4th. The forensic experts, after consulting numerous authoritative academic papers, identified a type of asphyxiation called "positional asphyxia." The old friction marks on the beam also suggested that this was not the first time Kuang Zhijun had hung himself from the beam. Police rejected a plea by the parents to reopen the case, saying they had ruled out the possibility of murder or suicide after investigation. Banan police concluded within only a month that the death was an "accident" that had occurred while the boy was playing a "superstitious game." They ruled out foul play or suicide, declining to investigate further. The case gained widespread attention due to the unusual condition of the body, including cross-dressing elements and complex bindings, leading to speculations of murder, ritual involvement, or supernatural causes. Due to the mysterious and eerie nature of the case, it was later adapted into a horror film titled "Red-Clothed Boy." Kuang Zhijun's mother mentioned to the media that her son had several needle marks on his forehead, which were not mentioned in the police report. Kuang Zhijun's parents, in a media interview, expressed their sorrow and confusion, saying they still didn't understand why their son had died.

Case Last Updated:

Oct 16, 2026