Money is the answer to many problems in life.
With money, anyone afford to live a better life by purchasing more of what their heart desires. With money, anyone can benefit with the many perks life has to offer, become more respected, and valued in the overall community.
Money however, is also the source of other kinds of problems. And they include trust issues among friends and family members, and also between husband and wife.
Abby Choi was a model from Hong Kong, and a well-known Instagram influencer.
She was found butchered into pieces in a village house, with only her limbs were initially found.
The Hong Kong police have made four arrests over the gruesome murder.
Choi was only 28 years old.
It all began when Abby Choi appeared on a digital cover of a fashion magazine L'Officiel Monaco.
She looks glamorous in the designer, nude-colored gown.
A week later, she was allegedly last seen by her ex-husband's brother, who also worked as her chauffeur. According to reports, the two were believed to be heading to pick up Choi's daughter.
Choi never collected her child, and she was reported missing afterwards.
Obviously, the first person questioned by the police was the brother-in-law. But little did the police knew, that he and his family made false statements to mislead investigators.
It was then realized that Choi's former father-in-law, a police sergeant until 2005, is the mastermind behind Choi's disappearance.
The police came into this conclusion when they realized that it was him who was unhappy over Choi's handling of a luxurious property in the exclusive Kadoorie Hill neighborhood in Ho Man Tin.
Choi planned to sell the property, but faced objections from the former father-in-law whose family was living there.
Choi is said to have promised to relocate her former in-laws elsewhere, but her request wasn't well received. Choi's attempt to sell the property sparked fierce opposition from her former father-in-law, who had several arguments with her.
It was then understood that her former father-in-law had threatened Choi not to sell the HK$72.8 million Hong Kong dollar property, which was apparently registered under his name.
During the dispute, Choi even had a lawyer to help her, who advised her that she could take the sale proceeds of the property, only if she could present proof that she was the one paying for it.
In which she did.
She managed to do that because she acquired the 169 square meters property in mid-2019, and that the entire payment for the property was made in October of the same year without any mortgage records.
It was only after this, that the police realized the model continued supporting her former in-laws financially after their divorce.
It was also realized that her ex-husband was unemployed, and that he is already wanted by the police for years after jumping bail in a fraud case. He allegedly defrauded victims of about HK$5 million from 2014 to 2015 in a gold investment business.
Choi had a reported net worth of around HK$100 million, and this made her a influential figure, and among the elites in Hong Kong.
Not only that she supported her former father-in-law, her former mother-in-law, and her ex-husband, because Choi also reportedly helped her former brother-in-law to purchase a home for himself.
Her former brother-in-law, was actually Choi's former business partner, before becoming her personal driver. In his Instagram page, the man had photos hinting his high living, which include fine dining, luxury gyms, and driving luxury cars like a Rolls-Royce and a Mercedes-Benz.
There are also photos of him on a yacht.
In fact, her former brother-in-law maintained a close relationship with Choi that on Instagram, for example, he often referred Choi as his own sister.
Ironic, because Choi was with him the last time she was known to be alive.
Realizing this all, the investigation was led to a village house at a suburb of Hong Kong, at Ting Kok Road, Lung Mei Village, Tai Po.
When the police broke inside the house, which was rented by the former father-in-law, the police found Choi's remains.
The first and the most obvious, was the pair of legs that belonged to a woman in a household refrigerator.
Without having to identify whose legs they belonged to, the police found Choi's identity card, credit cards and other items of Choi in the house.
What's worth noting here is that, the house was largely unfurnished, and had its walls covered.
Furthermore, the house had an electric saw and a meat grinder that had been used to mince human flesh, the police said.
Besides that, there were two types of cleavers and a hammer.
"Tools that are used to dismember human bodies were found in the flat, including meat grinders, chainsaws, long raincoats, gloves, and masks," superintendent Alan Chung Nga-Iun said.
"Two pots of stew believed to contain human tissue."
Before making conclusions, forensic and scientific forensic experts at the time said that the location was not suitable for on-site testing, and that the two pots had to be brought back for further lab analysis.
But from the look of it, it was certain that the house was set up as a butchery site, only to dispose of Choi's body.
"Police also have found that the flat was arranged by cold-blooded killers meticulously," Chung said.
"We are still looking for the head, the torso and hands, which we believed were disposed of."
More than 100 police personnel were deployed to search area, including at the Tseung Kwan O Chinese Permanent Cemetery on Saturday. The police also dispatched a diving team to search the nearby catchwater.
Units from the Hong Kong's elite Special Duties Unit, known as Flying Tigers, and officers from the Police Tactical Unit took part in a search operation.
Besides them, a drone was also used for an aerial search, and police tracking dogs were also deployed to help.
"We understand that an attempt to find two or three refuse bags in 3,000 to 4,000 tonnes of rubbish is just like finding a needle in a haystack," Superintendent Alan Chung said.
As for the house, the property was then taped off with at least 20 police officers coming in and out to investigate the scene.
The police officer said that the attack was "well-planned" and "premeditated."
The first person arrested, was Anthony Kwong, the former brother-in-law of Choi, and then his former father-in-law Kwong Kau, and former mother-in-law Jenny Li.
Following that, the police arrested Choi's ex-husband.
According to reports, he was arrested at a pier in Tung Chung, on one of the city’s outlying islands, Lantau, allegedly trying to flee by speedboat.
He had with him HK$500,000 in cash and several luxury watches worth about HK$4 million in total.
Police said they have charged two men, aged 31 and 65, jointly with one count of murder, and a 63-year-old woman with one count of perverting the course of justice.
Superintendent Chung said that the police believe the 28-year-old woman had financial disputes involving tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars with her former in-laws, and that "some people" were unhappy with how Choi handled her assets.
"We believe the victim and her ex-husband's family had many financial disputes involving huge sums," the police said.
"Someone was dissatisfied with how the victim handled her assets, which became a motive to kill."
All suspects in the crime face murder charges, and have been denied bail.
Chung said the arrestees have been "uncooperative" so far, making the probe "very difficult."
A fifth suspect, a 47-year-old woman, was arrested a few days later.
Ms. Ng as what the police referred her to, is said to be the lover of Choi's former father-in-law. The 47-year-old woman is accused of renting the ground floor flat of the village house with him, after Alex Kwong found out about his father’s extramarital affair.
She was also suspected of helping the Kwongs evade the police.
Ng who works as a masseuse is said to have been in a relationship with Choi's former father-in-law for six months.
In March 2, the police announced that they've arrested a man called Lam, for reportedly assisting Choi's ex-husband in his getaway attempt in a speedboat.
According to reports, the man is a former assistant of Hong Kong singer-actor Ronald Cheng.
According to the police, Lam worked for a yacht rental company, and is suspected to have accepted HK$300,000 in cash to assist Choi's ex-husband to leave Hong Kong and take him to a Tung Chung pier to international waters, where he would board another boat.
Even though the escape did not come to fruition, and that Lam was not involved in the murder, Hong Kong police suspected that Lam had knowledge of the entire murder plan.
While the police investigates, and that the two large-size stainless pots of stew were analyzed, it's believed that many of Choi's remains had indeed been made a stew.
Submerged, swimming inside a thick layer of fat, with soup scraps like carrots and radishes, the police found a head with "no skin or meat on it."
"The liquid was up to the top of the pot so to speak, and the whole pot was full," said Alan Chung, who is leading the investigation. "There was a a lot of fat solidified in the form of jelly a the top, and there were a lot of scraps of soup."
"I remember carrots and green radishes, and there was also other minced meat, which I believe were human remains."
"About the head - it is a skull actually, with no skin or meat on it. So, basically skull with hair."
Upon closer inspection of the human skull, which still has hair on it, the police found a small hole, with a size of around 6.5cm by 5.5cm, which is believed to be caused by a hard object.
"As I said, there is a hole on the right side, rear on the skull. The pathologists think that it is the fatal attack on the victim. As for the torso, we are still working on many clues."
Inside the pot, the police also found more hair, a few ribs, and even more human tissue.
And inside the second pot, more human remains were found, including a small number of bones.
In short, some of Choi's remains were literally turned into gravy, with pieces of her solid body parts suspended in her own fat.
The family went to great length to dispose of Choi's body, partly because of Hong Kong's legal system.
Due to Hong Kong’s abolition of the death penalty in 1993, many believe that the suspects, if proven guilty, will receive a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. But, if the remaining body parts of Choi are not found, the culprits could face charges of manslaughter, which carries a significantly lighter punishment, such as a fine.
One of the main suspects, Choi’s former father-in-law, was a former police officer, and must have a thorough understanding of the city’s criminal justice system.
But besides that law, dismembering Choi is probably a solution the murderers seek, because of the tightly packed city they all live in. Hong Kong is full of tiny apartments, and is known for having one of the world's most densely populated neighborhoods.
Most Hong Kongers live within just a few meters with other people, living on top of each other, and side-by-side in an apartment, who could easily spot them trying to dispose of a corpse.
Because of this, it should be extremely difficult for murderers to dispose a body due to the lack of rural areas, limited open space and open terrain.
Rarely do Hong Kongers, except those of the much higher upper classes, to live in houses with gardens.
This prompts some murderers to dismember their victims into smaller parts for disposal.
But in this case, another reason for the mutilation, is to "cook" Choi's body parts.
In Hong Kong’s subtropical, humid climate, the smell of a corpse can quickly capture attention. Cooking can remove the smell. After all, the culprits had Choi's legs inside the fridge, which should stop the natural decaying process. But most importantly, the culprits cooked Choi's body parts to make it difficult to identify the DNA within them.
In short, if the victim cannot be identified, how can the killer be identified? Choi's former father-in-law should know this.
However, this should remain futile, because teeth are considered among the hardest part of the human body, and as long as they're intact, the police can use them to verify the identity of the skull.
The police believe that the famous influencer was attacked while she was inside her 7-seater Toyota Alphard, and was unconscious when she was taken to the house.
"We're still working on many clues," said Alan Chung. "When we have any other clues we will do a thorough search again to find the torso and other missing parts of the body."
Realizing how gruesome this murder is, the police also inspect sewage pipes in the area in pursuit of Choi's missing body parts.
Abby Choi started her career modestly, before becoming a Hong Kong fashion icon and media personality.
She carved her name for herself, and successfully earned the title of one of the most sought-after influencers in the industry in Hong Kong.
Many praised Choi for having a keen eye for style, and praised her ability to mix and match apparels and accessories in ways that made her a trendsetter.
"I am a person who keeps absorbing inspiration and always tries new styles. Sometimes I also try to dress up more extravagant, by mixing and combining different looks," said Choi in an interview with L’Officiel Monaco.
Choi was a regular attendee of Paris Fashion Week, and in fact, she was photographed at the Elie Saab Spring Summer 2023 Haute Couture show in Paris, France.
And due to her socialite status, Choi had been featured in numerous magazines, including Elle, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.
As an Instagram influencer with almost 100,000 followers, Choi fans not only come from Hong Kong, but also from around the world.
Through her account, she frequently posted photos of herself posing with various luxury brands in locations from London to Paris and Shanghai, and also on board of yachts in Hong Kong. In her bio she wrote that she’s "embracing every moment in life."
Choi had two children with her ex-husband, known as Alex Kwong, whom she married when she was still 18 years old, according to Hong Kong media.
After divorcing Kwong, Choi married Tam Chuk-Kwan, son of the founder of TamJai Yunnan Mixian restaurant chain in Hong Kong with operations in mainland China, without legally registering the marriage. By marrying Tam, she also has two other children with Tam.
Speaking to local media through a family friend, Tam described Choi as a "kind-hearted and good person who always wanted to help others."
"She supported me and loved me very much," he said. "She also brought up four cute and obedient kids. It has been a blessing to be Abby’s family or friend."
Following Choi's unfortunate death, Choi's son and daughter from her ex-husband will be placed in the care of the model’s mother, the police said.
And because Choi married Tam without registering the marriage, Choi's assets are to be inherited to her children only.
During the investigation, the tragic death of Choi unearthed a complicated web of property ownership and financial dealings. Some questioned whether Choi purchased the house under her former father-in-law's name to avoid tax, which could account to around HK$7 million.
The death of the 28-year-old mother has not only horrified Hong Kong, which is known as a city regularly ranked as one of the world’s safest, but also gripped much of the world’s media with the grisly details of her alleged killing.
This is because in Hong Kong, there have been dismemberment cases in the city, many of which targeted young women, and almost all of them were perpetrated by men.
The most famous, is the so-called "Hello Kitty" murder of 1999, when 23-year-old Fan Man-yee was abducted by gang members and brutally tortured for a month before she was murdered and mutilated. Gruesomely, her skull was eventually found sewn inside a Hello Kitty plush doll.