Hong Kong jury returns open verdict on death of teen found at sea after coroner rules out suicide, homicide
- Coroner Ko Wai-hung points to a lack of evidence of assault or threats to Chan Yin-lam, says suicide cannot be established ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’
- Five-member jury unable to determine the cause and circumstances of how she died last September
An inquest jury has reached an open verdict on the death of a 15-year-old girl whose naked body was found in Hong Kong waters last September, unable to determine the cause and circumstances, even as the Coroner’s Court ruled out suicide and homicide.
The five-member jury returned the unanimous verdict on Friday, closing a key chapter in a case that has been the talk of the city after the teenager’s death sparked wild conspiracy theories and unsubstantiated rumours about foul play.
Chan Yin-lam’s body was found in the harbour off Tseung Kwan O on September 22, 2019, three days after she was last seen by friends and her image was caught on security cameras.
While Coroner Ko Wai-hung said that the evidence was insufficient to conclude without reasonable doubt whether Chan had committed suicide or been killed unlawfully, he ordered police to retain one of her mobile phones for a year. The iPhone was locked when found, preventing officers from retrieving any data.
Police should investigate further if they could obtain fresh evidence from the device; otherwise, the phone should be returned to Chan’s mother after that, he said.