Abby Fung-Tin Cho, a 28-year-old socialite and model, was reported missing last Wednesday. Two days later, her dismembered body parts were found in a house in the Po Tai district of Hong Kong, a city known as one of the safest in the world. The horrific murder has shocked the financial hub.
What information do we have regarding the homicide?
Choi, the former husband of Kwong Alex, who has now been arrested for murder, has two children with her. Last week, she did not pick up her daughter after she was reported missing.
The model was reportedly attacked in a seven-seater vehicle which was found to have blood splatters inside, the police said on Sunday.
The investigation in the Tai Po district brought them to a village residence where they discovered fragments of her remains in a refrigerator. In Tseung Kwan O, a locality in Hong Kong, they stumbled upon a graveyard. In one of the two spacious cooking pots that were retrieved from the three-storey dwelling, the authorities discovered body parts.
According to a report by the South China Morning Post, investigators used dental records and DNA tests to determine if the skull and human bones found in another pot belonged to Choi. The meat believed to be human flesh was found in one of the pots, which were covered with thick fat along with some carrots and radishes.
SCMP states that inside the apartment, a mincing machine, a powered saw, and two pots filled with human tissue, alongside two different kinds of meat knives, a mallet, various other utensils, and protective visors were additionally discovered.
Experts from the Forensic Department believed that it was the result of a fatal blow that killed her. The media was informed by Alan Chung, the Superintendent of the Crime Unit in West Kowloon, Hong Kong, that a hole measuring 2.2 inches by 2.6 inches was found at the back of the skull.
The victim’s upper body and hands have not been discovered yet.
Also read: Explained: How Delhi’s ‘Dexter’ murdered his girlfriend and concealed the crime for six months.
What was the reason behind Choi’s killing and who has been apprehended?
While the motive is to be confirmed, local media reports say that Choi could have been murdered over a luxury property dispute.
As per CNN, her ex-spouse Alex Kwong Kong-chi was apprehended on Saturday at a ferry dock situated on an outlying island of the city. He was unexpectedly intercepted while attempting to escape the city. Authorities have seized HK$500,000 in cash and luxury timepieces valued at approximately HK$4 million from him.
SCMP reports that it is currently unclear whether she was aware of the homicide. The cranium and additional remains were found on the first level of the residence, where she has been accused of leasing it to him. She is believed to be the paramour of Kwong’s father, and the authorities have also apprehended a 47-year-old woman named Ng in relation to the incident. On Sunday, Kwong, his father, and his brother were formally accused of the murder. Kwong’s parents and brother have also been detained.
With the assistance of Ng, who is considered a suspect by the authorities, Kwong and Choi’s younger son manages to conceal Kwong in a different upscale apartment located in West Kowloon, successfully evading the police.
According to media reports, when she disappeared, her brother-in-law supposedly picked her up and served as her driver. She assisted her brother-in-law in buying a home, and her ex-in-laws resided in a high-end apartment that she possessed. Choi continued to support Kwong’s family even after their divorce, as indicated by the media.
Choi’s decision to sell her father-in-law’s former property, which reportedly brought her 70 million HK$, enraged him and led to the plotted murder.
What information do we have about Choi?
Choi was a well-known influencer and model on Instagram with over 100,000 followers. Before the divorce, she had two children with Kwong. According to a report in the Strait Times, she had a matrimonial ceremony in 2016 with her partner Kwan Chuk Tam, whom she also has two other children with, although they were never officially registered.
Choi was the eldest of three daughters who grew up in Hong Kong. Her family was wealthy and had business dealings in China, including a construction company. Additionally, she had a personal net worth of more than HK$100 million.
Last month, Choi graced the cover of Monaco L’Officiel magazine, which described her as a media personality and style icon who took the world by storm with her unbridled passion for fashion and impeccable sense of style.
In a report by CNA, the most sought-after influencers in the industry carved out a name for themselves by mixing and matching unexpected pieces. The magazine described her as a true trendsetter with a keen eye for style.
She informed L’Officiel, “Occasionally, I also attempt to attire myself in a more lavish manner, by blending and merging various aesthetics… I am an individual who continuously absorbs inspiration and consistently experiments with fresh fashion choices.”
The model featured in additional fashion magazines such as Vogue and Elle and participated in the Paris Fashion Week of this year.
Also read: Has Aftab Poonawala ‘motivated’ other murderers? Copycat offenses explained.
According to The Evening Standard, in Hong Kong, she co-founded Paomes Charitable Organisation, a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing animals, and had a deep affection for creatures beyond the realm of fashion.
Choi’s father is not well known. Furthermore, Choi’s family had a deep affection for luxury items such as fur coats and Hermes Birkin bags. Choi’s mother, like her daughter, posted videos on TikTok and Douyin, China’s version of TikTok.