Deng Shiping, who was also in charge of facilities and maintenance at the school, refused to sign off on the field as he felt the construction was sub par. Deng, who was aged 52 or 53 at the time of his disappearance, worked at the secondary school as a services manager. According to his family, however, Deng believed the principal's relatives had cut corners, and he therefore refused to sign off their work. Deng's brother told local media: "The field and track was being built by the principal's relatives. The suspects allegedly admitted to murdering and burying Deng under the field for threatening to expose them.

Source: Daily Mirror June 20, 2019 18:48 UTC