The brutal murder of Hong Kong model and influencer Abby Choi Tin-fung has drawn worldwide media attention, with her former in-laws remanded in custody without bail on Monday on charges of murder and perverting the course of justice.
Almost a week after Choi was reported missing, police continue to search for the model's last missing remains. A skull and a number of ribs believed to belong to the socialite were discovered by the force on Sunday inside a large soup pot from a village house in Lung Mei Tsuen of Tai Po District.
A source earlier mentioned that the murder was believed to be connected to a financial dispute between the victim and her former in-laws - including her jobless ex-husband - over a property worth millions of dollars.
A police investigation found that Choi, who later married the son of a popular chain restaurant founder, had planned to sell the property in Ho Man Tin's exclusive Kadoorie Hill neighborhood, which she had bought under the name of her former father-in-law.
Despite promising to resettle her in-laws elsewhere, the decision was believed to have triggered strong opposition from her ex-father-in-law.
Concise timeline of Choi's brutal murder
Early February
The Hong Kong socialite's former father-in-law, who used to be a police officer as well, rented the village house in early February. He is suspected of being the murder's mastermind.
February 21
Choi's ex-brother-in-law was believed to have driven to the Kadoorie Hill neighborhood to meet the model and the two were then supposed to travel to pick up she and her former husband's daughter, a police insider mentioned.
But when the socialite didn't show up and collect the child, she was reported missing last Tuesday.
Upon receiving the report, the police contacted the brother and parents of the victim's ex-husband. But the three provided misleading statements, which officers said hindered their inquiries.
February 24
Police discover a number of Choi's remains at the village house's ground-floor flat, which had been meticulously prepared as a place for cutting up the body before the pieces were taken care of.
In addition to the model's remains, officers also uncovered scores of other items, including black raincoats, a meat grinder, a couple of pots of soup containing human tissue, and a handbag that belonged to Choi.
The victim's head, torso, and hands were still missing at the time.
Police arrested Choi's former parents-in-law as well as the ex-brother-in-law, but continued to search for her ex-husband at the time.
February 25
Choi's former husband was arrested on Saturday at about 1 pm after the force learned of his plan to board a speedboat.
February 26
A skull with a 6.5 cm by 5.5 cm hole, believed to be the model's, was found on Sunday in a large soup pot taken to a mortuary from the village house. While police suspect the skull injury could be the blow that killed Choi, blood spatters in a vehicle suggest the victim was attacked there.
While Choi's former husband, his brother, and his father were charged with murder on the same day, his mother, who is believed to be familiar with the plot, was charged with perverting the course of justice.
A fifth suspect, who possibly had been in a relationship with the socialite's father-in-law for about six months, is also arrested over the murder.
February 27
Choi's former in-laws were remanded in custody without bail on Monday in connection with the incident.
Comments
Post a Comment