She was earlier spotted with two younger men who allegedly had familial ties with the local public security bureau.
[2] Li Shufen's family and friends have alleged that she had been raped and murdered by the son of a prominent Weng'an official and another youth and that her corpse had then been thrown into the river.
[5] The parents were guarding the girl's coffin day and night in fear the local police might attempt to tamper with the evidence.
[6] A document submitted by the local government stated the girl was unhappy with life because her parents favored her elder brother.
[citation needed] This roused an angry mob of thousands of people, who began overturning cars and setting fire to government buildings, including the local Chinese Communist Party headquarters.
Photographs as well as comments on the Guizhou protest in chatrooms and forums were quickly deleted by the mainland Internet censors.
The government launched a campaign to defuse protest ahead of the Beijing Olympics to continue projecting an image of social harmony and stability.
Public security officials in Guizhou offered a total of 9,000 yuan (about $1,300 or £700 or €800) to the parents of the teenage girl, with 3,000 paid by each suspect.