The Red Dress Slasher: Wuhan’s Serial Killer Who Targeted Women in Red

In 1999, the city of Wuhan, China was terrorized by a serial killer who became known as the “Red Dress Slasher.” Over the course of a year, at least 13 young women were murdered by this elusive killer who appeared to specifically target female victims wearing red dresses or other red clothing.

The first victim was a 24-year-old woman wearing a red dress, killed in 1999. As more young women dressed in red turned up dead, police soon realized they had a vicious serial killer on their hands. The slain women were all in their 20s and university students or recent graduates. The killer stalked areas around universities to find victims matching his twisted preferences.

Panic spread among the city’s female population, especially on college campuses. The mayor of Wuhan took the unusual step of warning women not to wear red, knowing it could make them a target. However, as red is considered a lucky color in Chinese culture, many continued to wear it. This allowed the killer to continue finding vulnerable prey.

In total, the “Red Dress Slasher” is suspected of murdering at least 13 young women over the course of a year. He would viciously stab and mutilate his victims, sometimes delivering over 40 stab wounds in a frenzied attack. He reportedly became more violent if the women tried to resist or escape.

Police struggled to find the mysterious killer, who left few clues behind besides the bodies of his victims. Eventually, they got a break when they matched shoeprints found at the scene of his last murder to a suspect, a man named Duan Jianpei. Duan had previously served time in both juvenile detention and jail for theft and armed robbery.

In 2000, Duan was arrested and confessed to the 13 known “Red Dress” murders, showing no remorse for his crimes. He told police he targeted young women because he believed they were “inherently weaker than boys.” Profilers described Duan as a compulsive gambler and alcoholic who suffered from deep-rooted resentment toward women.

Shockingly, despite his high body count and utter lack of remorse, Duan was sentenced to life in prison instead of execution. The reasons for this remain unclear, though some speculate he had connections in Wuhan’s justice system. Duan’s killing spree remains one of China’s most notorious serial murder cases in modern times. Yet it remains relatively unknown compared to similar crimes in the West. This may be due to the Chinese government’s reluctance to publicize such incidents, which they view as potential embarrassments.