‘Vanished’ PolyU teacher was murdered in Shenzhen the day he left Hong Kong: police
Hilary St John Bower was last seen alive at the Lo Wu border crossing
A Hong Kong teacher who “vanished” in Shenzhen three weeks ago – sparking an anxious 22-day hunt by family, friends and colleagues – was murdered the same night he disappeared, it was revealed on Tuesday night.
A Hong Kong police spokesman confirmed that mainland authorities had issued a “notification” that 60-year-old Hilary St John Bower was killed on the mainland on the night of March 22, the date he was last seen alive at the Lo Wu border crossing.
It is understood arrests have been made on the mainland but there are no details on how Bower died or when the Hong Kong police were told of his killing.
On Tuesday night, Bower’s friend and colleague at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Richard Charles, criticised police on both sides of the border for their “shoddy and shambolic” handling of the disappearance and their treatment of relatives and friends.
The dead man’s younger brother, Robin, was on a flight bound for Hong Kong from London on Tuesday night. It could not be confirmed if he was aware his brother was dead.
“I find it unbelievable that Hilary’s friends and colleagues have had to find out from the media about this. We are in shock and are extremely upset,” said Charles.