The suspect who was stalked and burned in Taoyuan was found to have smoked amphetamines in addition to etomidate.

A man surnamed Lin (1st from left) committed a throat-cutting murder and then set a fire. He was arrested after the incident. (File photo)

A major murder case recently occurred in Taoyuan City, where a 36-year-old former paramedic surnamed Lin was involved in following a woman and cutting her throat and burning her body. After the prosecutor's investigation unit collected Lin's urine for testing, it was reported that he had smoked etomidate, commonly known as "zombie cartridges", and amphetamines. Currently, the prosecutors are continuing to clarify the detailed motive of the crime and whether the crime was related to drug abuse at the time.

The prosecutor's investigation revealed that Mr. Lin had been addicted to drug abuse for a long time. When he was arrested, cash and zombie cigarette cartridges were found on his person. When he arrived at the police station, he stated that he had taken drugs after an argument with his girlfriend. In order to understand whether his actual drug use at the time of the crime was related to the crime, his urine was immediately collected for testing to clarify any doubts.

It is reported that as long as etomidate has been smoked for more than one day, the urine test may not detect it. However, Lin's urine test results showed etomidate, which means that he did take the drug within the day before committing the crime. As for the positive amphetamine test, it shows that Lin is suspected of long-term smoking.

According to the analysis of a police officer who is familiar with the characteristics of the drug, although etomidate can cause dizziness and difficulty in controlling the hands and feet like a zombie after taking it, it is less likely to lead to violent and prison-related crimes. On the contrary, long-term abuse of amphetamines can lead to insomnia, hallucinations, delusions and violent tendencies. As for whether this is related to the crime, it remains to be further clarified.

In the early morning of the 11th of this month, Lin followed the murdered woman who was engaged in leasing management into the rental house. He allegedly cut her throat with a knife and set fire to her. He also set fire to the house next door in an attempt to destroy the evidence. After firefighters arrived to put out the fire, they found that the woman was dead. After showing signs of life, he was sent to the hospital for emergency treatment and died. The police checked the surveillance cameras and arrested Lin, who was involved in the case. He was involved in robbery, intentional homicide, arson, public danger, residential intrusion and other serious crimes. He applied to the court for a detention prohibition and was approved.