Girl taken by couple drowned, police say

The couple suspected in the disappearance of a 9-year-old girl whose body was found over the weekend were longtime swindlers and transients who had run out of money and decided they no longer wanted to live, according to Zhejiang provincial police, who issued a statement late on Sunday.

"A preliminary investigation found the pair had, for some time, considered the idea of committing suicide, and had the motive and intention of seeking death along with the girl," a spokesman said.

The body of the girl, Zhang Zixin, was found on Saturday in the sea off Xiangshan county, Zhejiang province, 30 kilometers from where she had last been seen alive. An autopsy found she drowned, and there were no obvious injuries on her body. Police said they ruled out accidental drowning.