Hong Kong Influencer Abby Choi's Ex-Husband Allegedly Murdered Her Over Property Dispute
Prosecutors detailed a brutal alleged murder plot involving a dismembered body, a mincing machine, and attempts to mask the smell of decomposition.
The ex-husband of Hong Kong influencer Abby Choi allegedly purchased a mincing machine and cooked her remains with carrots in an attempt to disguise the smell following her murder, a court heard. Police discovered parts of Choi's dismembered body at a suburban Hong Kong property in February 2023, a case that shocked the financial hub.
Choi, 28, who had over 140,000 Instagram followers and had shared photos from Paris Fashion Week days before her death, was allegedly killed by her ex-husband Alex Kwong, 31, his father Kwong Kau, 68, and his brother Anthony Kwong, 35. The three men have pleaded not guilty to murder charges and face life imprisonment if convicted.
According to prosecution lawyer Charlotte Draycott, the defendants acquired equipment, including a mincing machine, days before Choi was reported missing, which were later used to dismember and dispose of her body. A neighbor testified to hearing the whirring of an electric chainsaw on February 21, 2023, and later claimed a foul smell emanated from the ground-floor apartment, local outlet The Standard reported. Prosecutors linked these sounds and odors to the defendants' efforts to conceal Choi's death.
Prosecutors alleged that while the remains were boiled, the intention was not to consume them but to make them unidentifiable. Carrots and radishes were reportedly added to the cooking mixture to mask the odor of decomposition. CCTV footage presented in court appeared to show Choi entering one of two vans used by the Kwongs on February 21, 2023, with her last online activity recorded at 2:44 p.m. that day. Later footage showed Alex Kwong parking one of the vans near the property where Choi's remains were recovered on February 24.
Draycott described the defendants as wearing face masks and appearing unsurprised, suggesting they had a premeditated plan. Alex Kwong, who had two children with Choi, was arrested on February 25 while attempting to flee Hong Kong, one day after his father and brother were detained.
Prosecutors also presented a hammer to the jury, citing a forensic report that indicated injuries on Choi's skull were consistent with the shape of the weapon. The court heard that financial disputes over a luxury property, which Choi had paid HK $60 million for, were a motive. Choi had allegedly registered the property under her former father-in-law's name to avoid higher taxes.
According to the prosecution, Choi's relationship with the Kwong family soured in 2022 when she attempted to sell the property. Kwong Kau, a retired police sergeant, was reportedly resentful and angry over the sale attempt, allegedly deciding to kill Choi to retain ownership of the flat. The prosecution contends that he and his sons conspired to carry out the murder.
"We say three of them decided they would do it together," Draycott stated, adding that each played a role in Choi's death and the subsequent disposal of her body. The trial is anticipated to continue until at least December.