LUOYANG, Henan - Police are refusing to rule out the possibility that a journalist stabbed to death on Monday was murdered, possibly due to a recent "gutter oil" scandal.

Li Xiang, a 30-year-old reporter for Luoyang TV, was stabbed 10 times outside the gate of his community as he returned home from a night out with friends at a karaoke bar.

A gatekeeper surnamed Shen recalled hearing a cry of "robber" before hurrying into the street only to find the victim lying on the ground several meters away.