£20,000 reward offered over unsolved Digbeth murder

The charity Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information that helps solve the murder of a man who was stabbed to death in a flat in Digbeth more than four years ago.

Jinming Zhang, 41, was killed in a flat on Moseley Street on 9 February 2022, following a suspected robbery. Police have said he was alleged to have been running a brothel at the time.

A suspect on CCTV

Detectives previously released CCTV of their main suspect, who was seen walking along nearby Barford Street shortly before the murder. Police say he had a "distinctive walk". Despite repeated appeals, he has never been identified.

He is described as black, in his late twenties at the time, about 5ft 4in tall and of average build. He was wearing dark clothing, a dark hat and a mask.

A DNA puzzle

A DNA sample from the suspected killer was found at the scene and sent for extensive forensic testing. Police say it showed the suspect is a man and that there is a 99.99 per cent probability he is black. But it did not match any profile on the national DNA database, which detectives have described as unusual.

Jenny Birch, from the regional police force, said the DNA sample was a powerful tool that meant people could be ruled out of the investigation quickly.

"Someone out there knows something. We won't give up until we have answers," she said. "Mr Zhang was killed in such awful circumstances, and we will not stop until we find out who did this to him."

"People needn't be afraid to come forward with names. The DNA sample we have means that we are able to quickly and easily eliminate people from our ongoing investigation. If you have any information, no matter how small, please get in touch. It could be small to you, but key to our investigation."

How rewards work

Crimestoppers is an independent charity that lets people pass on information about crimes without giving their name. Its rewards are paid only if the information leads to an arrest and charge, and the charity does not ask for a name or contact details, so callers can stay anonymous even when claiming a reward.

Rewards are usually offered in cases that have gone cold, in the hope that someone who has kept quiet for years, perhaps out of fear or loyalty, will now be willing to come forward.

Moseley Street runs through the edge of Digbeth, close to the city centre, in an area that has changed rapidly in recent years with new flats, bars and creative businesses.

Anyone with information can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or online through the charity's website. Information can also be given directly to police on 101.