true criminal, NHKの国際英語ニュースではあまりrealを使いません、もっぱらtrueです。
A district court found 11 villagers not guilty of violating election laws, and in October a court cleared a man of rape, after police said they had the true criminal.
運慶の作品がNYのクリスティーズのオークションにかけられました。落札したのは三越デパート。その影にいた本当の買主にもtrueが使われていました。
A week later, a Japanese Buddhist organization, Shin-nyo-en, admitted that it was the true purchaser, adding that it took the risk of paying a huge amount of money because it wanted to save the valuable sculpture from falling into foreign hands.