[Hong Kong] Abby Choi: A case summary
Who was the deceased?
Abby Choi, 28
She was a Hong Kong socialite and model. She was married to Mr Tam Chuk Kwan in 2016, whose father is the founder of the TamJai Yunnan Mixian eatery chain. The group has 10 outlets in Singapore.
Mr Tam and Ms Choi have two children, but the couple never legally registered their marriage.
Who were the accused?
- Alex Kwong Kong-chi, 28 – he is the ex-husband of Ms Choi
- Kwong Kau, 65 – he is the father of Alex Kwong
- Anthony Kwong Kong-kit, 31 – he is the elder brother of Alex Kwong
- Jenny Li Sui-heung, 63 – She is mother of Alex Kwong
The elder Kwong is reportedly the mastermind of the plot to murder Ms Choi. The latter was dismembered and decapitated by the accused.
Kwong and his two sons were charged with murder on Feb 27. Mdm Li was charged with one count of perverting the course of justice on the same day.
Ms Choi and Mr Alex Kwong were married in 2013, when they were both 18. They have two children from this marriage, 8 and 10 respectively. After their divorce (year unknown), Ms Choi continued to support her ex-husband and his family financially, and brought a HK 70million Kadoorie Hill property under the name of the elder Kwong.
Photo source: Abby Choi/IG
Where and when did the murder possibly take place?
Ms Choi was reported to have been missing since Feb 21 (Tuesday), last spotted in Fo Chun Road, Tai Po at around 2.15p.m. (local time) – She was then wearing a white top with long sleeves, white pants, white slippers and carrying a purple handbag.
Reportedly, she was attacked by Alex Kwong in a white, seven-seater SUV driven by Anthony Kwong on Feb 21. It was not known yet whether Ms Choi was dead before she was dismembered.
Photo source: South China Morning Post
What happened after the assault/murder?
Ms Choi was subsequently brought to a three-storey village house, reportedly rented by the elder Kwong, in Tai Po, Lung Mei Tsuen, a suburban part of Hong Kong’s outlying New Territories, where she was decapitated and dismembered at the ground floor of the building.
A meat grinder, electric saw, two pots, a refrigerator, two types of chopper, a hammer, face shields, black raincoats were found at the scene. The accused had covered the walls of the flat with a sail, and they put on face shields and raincoats so that they would not get bloodstained by dismembering the body.
Her dismembered parts:
- Human tissue found in two pots of soup, where her decapitated head and some ribs was subsequently found on Feb 26 – hair was stuck to the skull.
- Minced human tissues were also found on the ground in the house.
- Two legs were found in a refrigerator at the scene.
- Her torso and hands are still missing (as of Feb 27).
Some of her human parts, possibly her missing torso and hands, were likely to have been disposed of by the accused, possibly by the elder Kwong and his son, Anthony, at a cemetery, a woodland next to a reservoir in the cemetery and flushed down the sewage system.
Photo source: South China Morning Post
What was the possible cause of death/How was Ms Choi killed?
A hole measuring 6.5cm (2.6 inches) by 5.5cm (2.2 inches) was found at the back of the skull and that forensic experts believed it was the result of a fatal blow.
What were the possible motivations behind the murder of Ms Choi?
Investigations are ongoing, but Hong Kong media reported that Ms Choi, prior to her murder, was involved in financial disputes with her ex-husband and his family. Allegedly, the planned sale of the HK70 million Kadoorie Hill property had purportedly enraged her ex-in-laws.
They were planning for this murder over the past few weeks, according to HK media reports.
Scene of the dismemberment
Photo source: The Telegraph
Top image: Abby Choi/IG
