Wanted over the brutal murders of his teenage nephews in Los Angeles, Chinese national extradited from Hong Kong to face justice
Shi Deyun, 44, accused of bludgeoning boys – aged 14 and 15 – to death and trying to murder his wife
A double-murder suspect accused of bludgeoning his teenage nephews to death has been extradited to the United States from Hong Kong.
Almost three months after he was arrested by police at Hong Kong International Airport, Shi Deyun, 44, was put on a plane back to the US on Friday.
Shi, a Chinese national, allegedly killed his nephews – aged 14 and 15 – with a blunt object at their home in suburban Los Angeles. The boys were found bludgeoned with “blunt force trauma” to the head.
He is also accused of trying to murder his wife before boarding a plane to the mainland – which has no extradition treaty with the US – just hours before he allegedly carried out the alleged fatal attacks after learning she wanted a divorce, according to investigators.
Shi, who was considered by authorities to be armed and dangerous, was arrested on January 24 by Hong Kong police in a dramatic swoop before he could take a connecting flight to the mainland and block his return to America.
An agreement allowing the transfer of fugitives between Hong Kong and the US has been in place since 1998.
A Hong Kong police spokesman said: “Pursuant to an order for surrender made by the chief executive, a 44-year-old man wanted for two cases of murder and one case of attempted murder in the United States of America was extradited to the United States of America from Hong Kong yesterday [April 15].”
During proceedings to extradite Shi, he told a court he felt “muddle-headed” and feared people were trying to kill him.
When asked whether he needed a lawyer, he replied: “I’m very muddle-headed now, I don’t know how to answer you.”
Shi also claimed that he had lost a lot of blood. He was eventually taken to hospital for treatment.
