6/23/2016
With motive a mystery, Bolingbrook cops close murder-suicide probe
Degang Zhang fatally shot Xinling "Bill" Zhang, his rival and sometime business associate, last fall in the latter man's office in Bolingbrook, authorities say.
A witness recounted for police Degang Zhang's last words after shooting Naperville resident Xinling Zhang several times and just before firing a bullet into his own head during the Oct. 26 murder-suicide:
"I'm not going to shoot you," Degang Zhang, of Aurora, assured a witness. "I'm here to kill Bill on purpose. … Actually, I just killed him."
Despite a four-month investigation — in which Bolingbrook police learned of the men's relationship and Degang Zhang's reputed financial and health problems — Bolingbrook police on Feb. 27 quietly closed their probe into the incident.
Police Lt. Carter Larry, the department's media relations officer, told the Naperville Sun in an email Thursday that "after an exhaustive investigation, Bolingbrook police detectives have determined that any motive with regards to the shooting would be purely speculative at this moment. There is nothing concrete to determine the rationale" of Degang Zhang at the time of the crime.
Xinling Zhang, 39, lived on the 2500 block of Nottingham Lane on Naperville's far south side, and Degang Zhang, 48, lived on the 1500 block of Merle Drive in Aurora. The men, who were not related to one another, died in the offices of YCB International, a trailer-bearing distributor at 694 Veterans Parkway in Bolingbrook.
Neighbors saw nothing amiss before Bolingbrook shooting
Neighbors saw nothing amiss before Bolingbrook shooting
The Sun recently made a Freedom of Information Act request and obtained copies of 82 pages of police reports amassed during the investigation.
One detective wrote of discovering computerized records "that indicated business dealings between Xinling Zhang and Degang Zhang," the latter of whom owned Reliance Bearing Co. Inc./Rel Tech Corp. at 2640 White Oak Circle in Aurora.
"Located were hundreds of invoices and business transactions between Rel Tech Corp." and two competing companies called Axly Industries and Oriental Pearl Corp., both owned by Xinling Zhang, according to the police records.
"Each invoice and business transaction were for various vehicle bearings and parts. The dollar amount of transactions varied in the amounts of tens of thousands of dollars" and dated back as far as 2011, the detective wrote.
Suburban Chicago arrest photos
Suburban Chicago arrest photos
Three YBC International employees were on duty the morning of the shooting, which occurred in a busy industrial park. The unidentified man or woman who made the original 911 call to police "was frantic, and the phone disconnected" after the call, police records showed.
Xinling Zhang was found "slumped over in a chair (in an office) with what appeared to be multiple gunshots to his body and head," the reports said. Degang Zhang was found dead in a waiting area.
After the witness told police Degang Zhang's final words, detectives located his silver 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML 350 sport utility vehicle in the parking lot. "A black Beretta PX4 Storm 9mm pistol was located in a bag on the floor of the back seat," along with ammunition, Degang Zhang's wallet and a cellphone, according to the reports.
One associate told police the day after the shooting that Reliance Bearing's business "around this time of the year slows down, but this year was exceptionally slow, as their orders were down." The witness told police that Degang Zhang "had appeared to be stressed and worried the last few weeks, and (the witness) could see so by his behavior," adding Degang Zhang "had some health issues as well that he was concerned about."
Another associate interviewed by police said Degang Zhang had been "going through a depression over the past month" and was having "business difficulties, and that profits (were) down" at Reliance Bearing, prompting him to lay off one of his warehouse employees.
Degang Zhang also "was to have surgery … for the removal of a gallstone" and was in "severe pain" and "very nervous" about that procedure, the subject told police. Degang Zhang said "he also thought that he had cancer, even though he was never diagnosed" with that disease.
Both men were married, and each couple had a child. Xinling Zhang and his wife came to the U.S. from China and moved to Naperville in 2013, according to neighbors.
Attempts Thursday to reach members of Xinling Zhang's and Degang Zhang's families by telephone were unsuccessful.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/crime/ct-nvs-naperville-muerder-case-closed-st-0624-20160623-story.html
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