37 years on: 1989 Lung Ha Wan murder case revisited after key suspect arrested

A Hong Kong man wanted as the alleged mastermind behind the 1989 Lung Ha Wan murder case has been arrested in Thailand after more than three decades in hiding, marking the capture of the last fugitive linked to the killing.

Thai police arrested the 62-year-old suspect, Mui Yiu-keung, on Monday (Feb 2) for illegal entry. He is believed to be the final absconding suspect in the high-profile murder of 26-year-old restaurant supervisor Lui Yuk-choi in Sai Kung in 1989. He is expected to be returned to Hong Kong for further legal proceedings.

(Read more: 37 years on the run: Final suspect in 1989 HK murder case held in Thailand )

According to archived Sing Tao reports, Mui was identified as the ringleader of the attack. Investigators believed he held a grudge against Lui, whom he accused of causing him legal trouble, and lured him to Lung Ha Wan with three other men under the pretext of a meeting before carrying out a fatal assault.

The victim’s body was discovered on August 31, 1989, by children playing near the beach. He was found partially buried in sand, with his hands and feet bound with nylon rope and his head and neck tightly wrapped. An autopsy later confirmed he died of asphyxiation and had suffered serious head injuries.

Police launched a major investigation and arrested two suspects within days. One, a 25-year-old man surnamed Choi, was later convicted of manslaughter and jailed for eight years, while another suspect surnamed Suen was acquitted. Two other suspects — Mui and another man surnamed Yeung — fled Hong Kong.

Yeung, described as Mui’s close friend and former classmate, was arrested in the mainland in 2000 after more than 11 years on the run and was extradited to Hong Kong. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2001. Court reports said he had agreed to help Mui assault the victim out of loyalty, but the attack turned deadly.

Mui allegedly fled to Thailand shortly after the killing and remained in hiding for 37 years until his arrest in Bangkok. With his capture, all suspects connected to the Lung Ha Wan murder case have now been accounted for.