Police find skull, several ribs believed to be from murdered Hong Kong model Abby Choi in soup pot; lover of suspect also arrested

A skull and several ribs believed to be murdered Hong Kong model Abby Choi Tin-fung’s were found in a large soup pot on Sunday, two days after her gruesome killing came to light, police said, adding that a fifth suspect had been arrested in connection with the case.

Choi, 28, had been attacked in a seven-seater vehicle, which was found to have blood spatters inside, Superintendent Alan Chung of the Kowloon West regional crime unit said on Sunday night.

Chung said Choi’s former husband, Alex Kwong Kong-chi, 28, his father, 65, and older brother, 31, were charged with murder on Sunday.

Kwong’s mother, 63, was charged with perverting the course of justice and the four will appear in Kowloon City Court on Monday.

Chung added police had earlier on Sunday arrested a 47-year-old woman surnamed Ng in connection with the case.

“We believe all the suspects involved in the murder case have been arrested,” he said.

He was speaking after police carried out a major search over the weekend at a village house in Tai Po and a cemetery in Tseung Kwan O. The body parts were discovered in one of two large soup pots police found on Friday at the three-storey house at Lung Mei Tsuen, Chung said.

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The pots were taken to a mortuary on Saturday, and forensic experts found the head and ribs after the contents were examined on Sunday, Chung said.

“When we found the two pots of soup at the scene, one of the pots measuring 50cm deep and 40cm in diameter, was almost full and covered with thick fat, some green radishes and carrots and meat believed to be human flesh,” he said.

“Forensic experts recommended that we not carry out any inspection at the site to preserve evidence, so we decided to transport the pots to a mortuary for further examination.”

Human bones were also found in the smaller pot, he said. DNA tests and dental records would be used to determine if the remains were Choi’s. Hair was stuck to the skull.

Chung said a hole measuring 6.5cm (2.6 inches) by 5.5cm (2.2 inches) was found at the back of the skull and that forensic experts believed it was the result of the fatal blow.

Police would continue the search for other missing body parts including her torso and hands, he added.

He said Ng was the lover of Choi’s former father-in-law and was accused of renting with him the ground floor flat of the house in Lung Mei Tsuen. Chung said it was not yet known if she was aware of the murder.

She was also suspected of helping Kwong evade police, he said.

The lover – a masseuse who had been in a relationship with Kwong’s father for about six months – was also suspected of having rented a luxury flat in the Arch Sky Tower development in West Kowloon to hide the younger son.

Chung said the investigation has been made more difficult because of the uncooperative attitude of the suspects.

“We want to find out as much as we can, not just to convict the murderers, but to give an answer to the deceased’s family, and return justice to the deceased,” Chung said.

Kwong was snared in a police ambush at a Tung Chung pier on Lantau Island at about 1pm after officers learned about his plan to board a speedboat to flee the city.

He had HK$500,000 (US$63,695) in cash and several luxury watches worth about HK$4 million in total with him when he was arrested. He later complained of feeling unwell at Hung Hom Police Station and was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei.

Police said on Saturday that the two children Choi had with Kwong were being cared for by her mother.

The murder came to light on Friday when officers found body parts in the flat in Lung Mei Tsuen. Choi went missing on Tuesday.

Police uncovered a meat grinder, electric saw and two pots containing human tissue, alongside two types of meat cleavers, a hammer, face shields, black raincoats and a purple handbag that belonged to Choi in the flat. The suspects had covered the walls of the flat with a sail. Two female legs were found in a refrigerator at the scene.

About 100 officers including divers from the force’s elite Special Duties Unit, known as Flying Tigers, and officers from the Police Tactical Unit took part in a search operation at Tseung Kwan O cemetery on Saturday.

A drone was used and police tracker dogs were also deployed at the cemetery in a bid to detect traces of Choi.

Officers searched the area as their investigation suggested Kwong’s father and brother visited the cemetery on Wednesday.

Police continued the operation on Sunday and deployed about 16 officers, including nine from the key points and search division, to examine a patch of woods next to a reservoir in the cemetery. After searching for the missing body parts for hours, officers halted the operation at Tseung Kwan O cemetery at about 3pm.

Police and Drainage Services Department workers returned to Lung Mei Tsuen around the same time to inspect sewage pipes in the area for the missing body parts.

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Choi was reported missing after she did not collect the daughter from her relationship with Kwong on Tuesday. Choi also had a son with him.

Moka Fang, the model-actress married to Cantopop star Aaron Kwok Fu-shing and a friend of Choi’s, said on social media that she was speechless, extremely disturbed and saddened by the murder.

The numbers of followers of Choi’s Instagram account jumped 20 per cent to 101,000 since the murder. Choi wrote in previous posts that she wanted to be a style icon, and as recently as a week ago was on the cover of a fashion magazine.

Additional reporting by Ezra Cheung