HK Socialite Abby Choi’s Brutal Murder
In a case that shocked Hong Kong, 28-year-old influencer and socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung (蔡天鳳) was discovered dead – with her ex-husband’s family members arrested!
One of Hong Kong’s most violent murders, Abby’s severed body was found at Lung Mei village in Tai Po, days after being reported missing. Police background investigations swiftly revealed that Abby was in a financial dispute involving a property worth tens of millions in HKD with her ex-husband’s family, and possibly garnered their grudge over her handling of financial assets.
Grisly Discoveries
Last seen on the noon of February 21, preliminary investigations revealed suspicions of foul play, hence the case was taken over by Kowloon West regional crime unit. A missing person’s report was made on midnight, February 21, the date her personal chauffeur, who is also her ex-husband’s brother, claimed to have last seen the 1.55m-tall socialite.
Police spokesperson said that erroneous information was provided by suspects of the case with intent to mislead. Nevertheless, justice prevailed and police were led to the Tai Po suburbs house, where they unearthed human remains in the fridge. They also recovered the victim’s personal ID and credit cards, as well as tools believed to have been used for dismembering her body including a meat grinder, chainsaw, raincoats, gloves and masks. Aged between 31 and 65 – Abby’s parents-in-law and her ex-husband’s brother – were apprehended in the wee hours of February 25 in West Kowloon.
A “Highly Premeditated” Case
Describing the unit as carefully set up by the murderers, the house had barely any furniture as it was newly rented by the victim’s former father-in-law, just weeks ago. Canvas sheets had been draped over the walls and windows. It is understood that the three suspects who have been arrested will face murder charges, while Abby’s ex-husband Alex Kwong, the fifth child in his family, was arrested on Saturday, February 25 after a citywide manhunt.
Appearing on the cover of fashion magazines, Abby has more than 83K followers on social media where she shares updates of being in the fashion limelight.
She was previously pictured with actor Donnie Yen (甄子丹) at his movie premiere and is also known to share a close friendship with Aaron Kwok‘s (郭富城) wife, Moka Fang (方媛).
Source: Yahoo! News HK, Instagram
For a premeditated murder, they are doing pretty badly. I guess chopping up body isn’t that easy even if you have the tools (aka they don’t have the stomach for it), because if they were that good, they would have planned out on how to get rid of the body part fast. Clearly did not watch enough tvb series :p also can’t wait to see this case in tvb series lawl XD all joke aside, sad for the girl and her children and family, but I’m glad she got her justice!
Read more background of her, I just read from a Chinese site… Dont blame me if the info is not accurate. Just sharing what I read.
Her mum: She is from a well to do family, her mum is from Wenchang, Hainan and she love her 3 daughters very much. She is a well-known philanthropist in Hainan. Very often help the poor. In fact Abby took after her mum’s good heart.
Her ex-husband: Her ex went after her very aggressively after meeting 15yr old her. They got married at 18yrs and had 2 daughters. but divorces after they kept fighting. But she thought her exs family were poor so she continue to give them money and free lodging… as the 2 daughters were living with her ex. She was providing her daughters with financial support. Her ex is a wanted criminal in HK but he rain to mainland to hide from his crimes and debts and secretly return regularly. She was not aware of her ex’s bad history.
Her ex-father-in-law: He use to served as a detective sergeant in 2005 in Mong Kok Police Station.
When he was investigating a criminal case, he met the female victim. Afterwards, he contacted the woman many times and was suspected of rape. The female victim called the police for help.
He was arrested and investigated and later resigned on his own.
Her ex-mother-in-law: Not personally involve in killing but knew of plan and kept quiet.
Abby maintain good relationship with her ex and the family and her current husband knew them too.
But all broke loss due to her wanting to sell the house she bought for them. She wanted to relocate them. her exs have always ran away from debts and chased by banks etc… so they got greedy and wanted her money.
She may have remarried but since it was not registered… upon her death, her assets will be shared between her 2 daughters. 2 with her ex and 2 with her current… Her current husband will not be legally entitled to her assets.
Such an evil family!!!! I hope they experience pain before their death!!
Gee! I wonder why she didn’t take care of her 2 daughters who are with the ex husband! Should just take them and don’t pay him >_> but this feel straight out of one of those crime drama >_<
Dear lord, just read about the motive of her killer, because even though she remarried, she didn’t register, so her assets will be divided among her 4 kids, 2 are with the ex, so the ex will get $12 million USD from her death…. That’s just sad… even sadder for the kids because they won’t see any of that money!
Yes, it is all very very evil and sad… For money did such horrible deeds to another human who have trusted them and cared for them. They even boiled parts of her body to get rid of evidences… I pray, those that harm the victim feel no peace forever….
What bad luck, having married to such an evil family!!
BTW, I had thought she looked very much like Aaron Kwok’s wife. All her photos reminded me of the story of the “Godmother” who trained a dozen girls to pose lavish photos and hook rich husbands. I think Aaron Kwok’s wife was one of her pupils. All looked alike and probably same plastic surgeon.
I am not trying to speak ill of the dead and I don’t think anyone deserves to be murdered, especially in such a gruesome way.
She has 4 kids?! She really doesn’t look like it. I thought she had 2 kids.
And wow, being aggressively pursued at 15…that’s not legal in the U.S. I’m surprised her wealthy family didn’t reject his advances given the wealth disparity between the two of them.
There are so many weird aspects of this relationship, like she hires her ex’s brother as chauffeur? Why? She has 4 kids and left the first two with this loser of a husband? Why? Her family allows this shameful criminal into their home even after extortion? Why?
I assume the ex still gets an allowance or spousal support from her – why kill a big fish when he can get continuous financial help?
Because the reward after killing her is much greater…She may give him allowance but who knows when that may stop. Since they have reveal their greed, they feel killing her is the best solution.
As to why emply her ex brother-in-law, since she still gets on with them, I guess she feels employing a family member of her elder 2 daughter may be safer??? Just my speculation.
As to why she left girls with ex-hubby. Maybe her ex-in-laws ask her to do so whilst she is free to marry another with no big baggage… Normal in mainland. Where else in the west, mum will often be the person who will have custody of the kids. But she does still play active roles in their lives…
Love is blind, she married the wrong guy..
So the house that the ex’s family live in was bought by her. She bought the house but let the dad’s name on the house title. Anyway, I think it’s a misunderstanding. According to her friend, she decided to sell the house, even though the dad’s name was on the paper but because she was one paid for the house, she has the right? Anyway, the dad thinks she’s kicking them out, while the friend thinks she’s just making an investment decision and would buy them another house anyway. That would explain why they had an hour of argument before they murder her. Also, money given by other is not as secured as money in your pocket. Killing her and get away with it will means the money is theirs and not at the mercy of her. Basically they are using their evil minds to measure her goodness, that saying the other person’s kindness is as deep as your own.
Why she hires the brother, well, in a way, it is to give them money without making them look bad. The ex husband obviously will refused to be work for her, same with her parents-in-laws, because that’d be a laughing stock. But the brother is ok, as people just see strong family bond.
I’m wondering about the 2 kids, too. However, it seems she frequently hangs out with the ex family, so staying with her isn’t important as she provides them house and food, etc. and with the brother being her driver, she literally can go between houses at ease lol.
I read she still looked after her ex-in laws after the divorce and the house they lived in was hers, and she also gave them an allowance. Her hiring the ex-BIL was probably another way of taking care of them. By all accounts, she was a really good person and definitely didn’t deserve this. RIP.
@Hohliu @LittleFish this is just so sick and tragic; she’s so kind and never asked anything from the ex. The poor kids she has will one day read these reports and learn what happened. I’m so sad for the older two; what kind of hate they might face because of their dad and how much that will impact them.
Oh yes, a good point you made. The older kids will have to deal with the public looking and talking about them. I hope never bad will happen to them…both are victims too.
It seem Abby’s head was found in a soup pot…I dont know if it is true..
Apart from the backlash, we don’t know if the ex family has treated the 2 kids right, raising them up right. Sigh, the whole thing is just F up… being nice shouldn’t get you this kind of treatment….
From what I heard on TVB news, her daughter convinced her to hire their uncle (aka ex-brother-in-law) as a chauffeur when the original chauffeur took leave. Poor girl, probably her father/grandfather used her as one of their tools in this premeditated murder.
Oh dear, now that daughter will carry that guilt forever…. She might blame herself…she was used by her paternal family.
I am at loss of words. This case left me in shock, I still cannot believe how evil and vile her ex and his family is. I wish her family protected her better. She was so young when he managed to manipulate his way into her life. So sad! Can’t stop thinking what my father told me, better all alone than marrying a bad person. Such sad and shocking fate!
Whatever reason they had for murdering her, why need to dismember the body and cook it? If it’s for destroying evidence, won’t it be faster to just burn it rather than to leave so many parts for the police to find days after killing her?
It’s not destroying evidence, more to have the body don’t decompose and give out smell as fast. I think cooking it slow the distinct smell down? But yea… seriously, it makes my stomach churn thinking about it, idk how ppl think they can do this >__<
Easier to dispose off the body disguised as food leftover (google Singapore Curry Murder for reference). The ex-father in law was an ex-policeman so he knew what tools to prepare for the dismemberment. I think they overestimate themselves in the act of dismembering and cooking the body (the skull is the hardest part to destroy, forensic report indicate they tried to smash it) before investigators reached them.
Unfortunately, HK have no death sentence and the grandmother prolly will be a few years sentence, making her the legal guardian of the 2 kids and their inheritance from this crime after her release.
Her ex mother-, father- and brother-in-law as well as her ex spouse were all caught. Some parts of her body still have yet to be found but those in the refrigerator and pot (her head is in the pot) have been located.
This is one whole sick, greedy and cruel family. So far she didn’t seem to have ill treated her ex and his family from what has been disclosed, infact she had been treating them very well yet she ended this way.
Think even the house of her ex brother-in-law was bought with her help. And he was also a business partner of hers before things went wrong with the business.
@BearBear
That family is so evil and twisted that I wonder if they ate the missing parts of her body.
She used to have a lot of fights with the in-laws as they wanted to control her. That marriage was doomed from day one. My parents told me that they understand the rotten husband used to put his hands on her. I heard she was abused by the in-laws too. That is a common practice in Asian and Muslim families. She was too good for that red neck, trailer trash family. They just saw her as a roof over their head, a hot neal and an ATM.
She should have severed ties with them financially a long, lonely by time ago. Where they live was not her responsibility, especially the way they treated her, if what we hear is true.
The brother should not be her chauffeur anymore, not after the divorce.
It hurts my heart that that scumbag ex husband is going to profit from what her current husband should be getting. That is just so sad. My heart aches for him and her daughters.
This grossly murder was premeditated and I wonder if they were saving the other parts of her to eat.
This sweet, caring woman deserves all the justice she can get. They all deserve the electric chair, or never the see the light of day again, after being placed in solitary confinement, each in their own very tiny, soundproof, dark room. Greed ,the love of money and keeping up a certain lifestyle are very evil things when people do what they did to stay in the loop.
I am thinking of her family right now. May she rest in peace.
They are lucky to only get life imprisonment. Is there caning in HongKong???
I think the plot thickens. I dount the murder is only because of the house. And why wasn’t she officially married to her present “husband”? Why don’t we know more about her own family? What is their background? What is the source of her wealth? Her mother seems to be living in HK and why wasn’t she the one taking care of her kids? Things are not what they seem.
From the videos I watched on YouTube. Abby was a well known socialite in Hong Kong. She was born into a wealthy family with businesses in mainland China. Her mom is also a popular influencer in China, her name is 五姐.
She met her ex-husband Alex when she was 15 and married him at the the age of 18 and had two kids with him. Due to personality differences, they divorced and she later married (marriage was not registered) famous restaurant chain Tam Jai Rice Noodle founder’s son Chris and had two kids with him. They probably agreed to not register their marriage as they are both wealthy and want to have their finances seperate (just my assumption).
I don’t think the plot is thicken lol. Nice people do get murdered even though they are nice and have done nothing wrong. There are evil people out there. So what if she’s not registered, how is that relevant at all to this murder (from the current husband and her family perspective)? Apart from the fact that because she’s not registered, people in law inheritance would then be highly motivated to kill her.
And to just take the children and severed the connection with the ex husband is what “bad” egotistical people would do. Fact of the matter is she got killed in the house rented under her ex-husband’s father’s name. Her ex-husband’s brother drove her to the crime scene, told the police lies about how she wanted to get out in the middle of nowhere. Like when the case is that clear, it’s just that clear! Also can’t help if the criminals are stupid and don’t have a stomach for dismemberment >_>
@afan202 to be honest, why should we know more about her family? Saying that, there are news online about her mum who does lots of charitable work that supports the region of her birth. And she taught all her 3 daughters to be kind and generous to others.
But her mum have nothing to do with the case. As to her source of wealth… how does that matter? As to why her own mum is not taking care of the grand daughters, why should that matter? she is a busy business woman, it is their family arrangements.
Her family has money for years…his family is poor… those are the facts. No intention to offend but no reasons can excuse her murder and how well planned it was.
It’s planned well in advance but not well-planned by any means. Basically impossible to get away with, with so many are involved, family usually the most likely suspect, biggest financial gain by a mile (in event of her death) and that they carried it out themselves in a bloody mess. Just so crazy and unbelievable that can only see it in TV dramas. Just getting alibis and not getting captured by cameras in a crowded HK is an impossible task. Just sickening that they have the stomach and bottle to carry it out, nevermind a group of people. They must be a bunch of sociopaths…
@Hohliu well said!
@jimmyszeto You are right it is not well planned…it is a planned murder… The “well” should not be there. And I too know this is a badly executed murder. What was going thru my head when I add that word!!!!
@LittleFish Thank you, you made a similar reply! of course I did make a mistake with one word…
That’s what a don’t like when people start adding conspiracy theories involving innocent people or victim blaming. Hasn’t there been enough events to satisfy you already? And comments such as ‘saving the the flesh to eat’, to make even more dramatic. The logical way is to follow the news and evidence stated by police, including the charges and people implicated. Those who are hinting that grieving members of the family are involved are being greatly disrespectful….
With all dye respect, please do not dictate my comments, or anyone else’s I never said they ate the body parts. I said I WONDER IF THEY ATE THEM, big difference. When people are such psychopaths, you cannot put anything past them. I have no interest to say anything more.
@jimmyszeto here here. I’m also tired of this conspiracy theories lol, not everything is conspiracy, and tbqh, a lot of the time, these conspiracy theories is how they muddle the water, beware of this conspiracies lawl
This news is so sad and heartbreaking. Her ex-husband’s family are cold blooded people filled with greed.
Abby seemed like such a sweet girl with a kind heart. She did a lot of charity work and even started an animal organisation for cats and dogs shortly before her death.
Even after she divorced her ex-husband, she still took good care of the, the luxury apartment where the ex husband’s family lived was also purchased by Abby but was under her ex father-in-law’s name.
Such a shame that she left the world in such a terrible brutal way and by the people that she thought was family. I hope to see justice served right. Please don’t fail on her HK justice system.
May she rest in peace.
Now, another person is arrested…the ex-father-in-law’s mistress, a young woman who loan him the house to hide himself.
Yep. A whole group of people involved. Feels like it was jealousy and anger driven murder as well as greed. Couldnt have been more poorly executed. Who would people first suspect? Obviously the beneficiary and the guy last driving the victim. Not exactly a mystery. I’m not sure why this dumb bitter old man needs all this money. He’s on his way to his death bed soon anyway. Guessing he is a sociopath who manipulated all those around him to commit this act. Very rare that you would get a whole group of people with the same evil tendencies. Heard of duo acts committing violent crimes but never a whole family. Usually at least one reluctant to go through with it. Hope this old man gets treated the same way as child murderers in jail. Hopefully he won’t get to be in isolated cell but if he does then hope it’s tiny.
Apparently the dad, who was a police officer, but because he raped one of the girls who came to the police for help, and that girl reported him, so he lost his job. But yea, his character is bad. So wouldn’t be a surprised if he’s manipulative, n get people to follow his way a lot. In true, the dad is the real evil mastermind here.
I wish I didn’t read this story. How horrific. My heart breaks for the children.
Yes. This should only happen in drama and not reality. It’s too sick and unbelievable to be real.
@jimmyszeto,
No, this happens in reality a lot. I watch a lot of crime shows and cases like this are anything but rare. People can be truly evil. My late parents taught me that humans are the cruelest creatures on the planet. I think they were right. Imagine if they made a drama out of this.
I see this in a lot of real life cases so am not so shocked. People can surely be evil, especially former spouses and in laws.
@teddy It was just an example since I seen a few comments like this. I know there are cases where psychopaths murder and eat their victims however we need to focus on the details so far in this case. They aren’t simply psychopaths who murder for the thrill. Dispute over money and it was a planned murder for self gain. Seems like self-centred sociopathic behaviour. Believing they are entitled to the fortune, believing they can get away with anything, delusional in thinking they had a good plan etr. More than likely they couldn’t wait to get rid of all the body pieces. I doubt they are sitting around dining on the flesh….
Yak!! I just had images of them sitting around dining on flesh….I better wipe that off my mind.
This mastermind clearly knows how to manipulate the weakness of those involved thus they all commit this crime. This remind me of the infamous HK movie from years back about Human Pork Bun…I believe it was based on a true story.
More likely that they were panicking like crazy once they realised the plan was a mess and the police were hot on their trail. Couldn’t wait to get rid of the body quick enough, nevermind people’s fantasised script of them calmly sitting at the dining table feasting on human remains. People just like make assumptions based on isolated historic, psychopathic cases or just want too many horror movies. Though have to admit this brutal murder case is already beyond dramatic.
Just read that apparently, the husband managed to win the custody of the 2 kids. Because of that, she had to support them. So there it is, ppl. It’s not like she didn’t want to take care the children, it’s verdict that made it so! So now we can put this to rest. Also, if anyone wonder why the husband could win over her in term of custody, pretty easy, just say she’s unfit to be a mother, she’s too busy travelling to all these high society functions, meanwhile, I’m jobless and so I can fully take care of the children so long as she pays for child support >_>
@LittleFish Yes. It’s almost impossible that up to 5 people naturally share the same belief of murdering for personal gain. The old man ex father in law been in a powerful positions all his life and in control, including high ranks police, getting away with rape, having unlimited money to spend etr. Has to be a sociopath who manipulates those around him, believes he’s invincible and entitled everything. Those type of people have no emotional attachment to anything and will have no remorse. Also seeing that he carried out such a stupid plan with murder plot involving whole family and outsider, thinking he could get away with it proves this. An experienced average intelligence guy would know it’s impossible nevermind an experienced police officer. Ignored that they would be the main suspects in any scenario, actively rented house, son used as driver car with blood stains etr. If read up on other cases in the world, these emotionless sociopaths don’t have real sense of reality. Have read of people who killed own family believing they could just move on to start to live with mistress without obstacles. The rest of family also scum but this old fellow deserves all he gets in jail hopefully with the tag as helpless girl -brutal murderer and ex-police officer…
@jimmyszeto Neighbors also heard loud arguing on the night of Abby Choi’s murder. The murder may not have been fully premediated, thus all the mistakes that you pointed out. However, the way they tried to dispose of the body evidence was very cruel and cold blooded.
Yes. The argument in the village contradicts that the fatal blow was made in car. Still think it’s highly likely premeditated with how there was a rented house fully prepared for breakdown of corpse. The mistakes may seem stupid to us but to a sociopath (who has got away with everything in his life previously), it would be a meticulously well-thought out plan.
The problem is we don’t know whether Abby was in that argument, the neighbourhood heard arguments, and even if there were male n female voices, it could be that of the mother-in-law.
They might have planned the murder but someone might jump the gun and brought the whole thing forward