Abby Choi murder: Hong Kong model dismembered and head found in soup pot, who is she
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On Sunday (February 24), the city of Hong Kong was shocked by the grisly murder of Abby Choi, a 28-year-old socialite and model who was found dead, with her headless body discovered in Tai Po, a suburb in Hong Kong.
Investigators found a skull, several ribs and hair, believed to be Choi’s remains, in a large stainless steel soup pot, but her other parts, including her torso and hands, remain missing.
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Hide AdSome of her body parts were allegedly hidden inside a refrigerator, while others were cooked.
Choi went missing after failing to pick up her daughter from school as usual, and she was last seen entering the car driven by her hired driver. According to police, a meat slicer and an electric saw were also discovered at the scene. The case has been classified as murder.
Five people have since been arrested in connection with Choi’s death, including her ex-husband, former parents-in-law, and ex-brother-in-law, as well as another person. The investigations are ongoing.
The alleged murder has sent shockwaves and drawn international attention, with many speculating about the motive behind the heinous crime. So who was Abby Choi and what had happened in leading up to the alleged murder? Here is everything you need to know.
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Hide AdWho is Abby Choi?
Choi, who was born on July 11, 1994 in Hong Kong, began her career as an influencer before moving into mainstream media. She was also known as a fashion icon who could mix and match pieces to set trends, and she had over 120,000 Instagram followers.
She also regularly attended Paris Fashion Week and was featured in several magazines, including Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, and Vogue. Just two weeks before her death, Choi was featured on the cover of the fashion and luxury lifestyle magazine L’Officiel Monaco.
Choi, the eldest of three daughters, grew up in a wealthy family that ran a construction company with ties to Chinese businesses, and her personal net worth exceeds HK$100 million (£10 million). Choi was also active in philanthropy, co-founding the Paomes Charitable Organisation to help stray animals.
Who are the suspects in Abby Choi’s murder case?
On February 25, 2023, three suspects were arrested following the discovery of Choi’s murder. One was Choi’s former brother-in-law (her hired driver), and the other two were the first suspect’s parents, who were both Choi’s parents-in-law before she divorced her first husband.
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Hide AdChoi married her ex-husband when she was 18 years old, and they had two children together before their three-year marriage ended in divorce. Choi later married Chris Tam, the son of a restaurant chain founder, and they had two more children. Choi maintained contact with her ex-husband and his family despite their divorce.
Following a citywide police manhunt, Choi’s ex-husband, reportedly named Alex Kwong Kong-chi, was the fourth to be arrested as he attempted to flee Hong Kong by boat. Choi’s death was allegedly planned by her former father-in-law, a former police officer who had previously been accused of rape.
At the same time, police arrested a fifth suspect in the killing, a 47-year-old woman named Ng, who was Choi’s former father-in-law’s mistress. The search for the missing hands, torso, and other body parts continued and 100 officers were dispatched to search for the remaining missing body parts.
Kwong, his brother, and father were charged with murder on Monday (February 27), while Kwong’s mother was charged with perverting the course of justice. All four suspects, who were officially charged in court, were denied bail and will be held in remand pending the outcome of the investigation. Their cases were postponed until May 8.
A conviction for murder carries a mandatory life sentence in Hong Kong, according to the law. It was reported the motivation was a money dispute.
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