A mainland-born illegal immigrant has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a 62-year-old female security guard in Shek Kip Mei in 2016, in a rare “no-body” case in which the victim’s remains were never recovered.
The victim, surnamed Chan, worked long hours as a construction site security guard and lived with her son in Shek Kip Mei. The defendant, originally from Puning, Guangdong, entered Hong Kong illegally in 2011 and later worked as a frozen meat cutter in a Shek Kip Mei market. He had two previous marriages and three children.
He was a long-time acquaintance of Chan through an extended family connection and referred to her as “Auntie”. Investigators said he had repeatedly borrowed money from her, and their relationship deteriorated amid financial disputes, with police not ruling out debt pressure as a possible motive.
Chan disappeared on May 1, 2016, after leaving work. She was later believed to have been lured to the defendant’s flat in Sham Shui Po over a debt-related dispute.
CCTV footage and Octopus card records placed her movements towards a residential building in Cheung Sha Wan, where the defendant was seen entering and leaving the premises multiple times that night, carrying plastic bags and a suitcase, and making enquiries about nearby refuse collection points.
Forensic officers later found blood traces in the defendant’s subdivided flat, confirmed to belong to the victim. The scene had been extensively cleaned, suggesting an attempt to destroy evidence, although the body was never located.
The defendant initially denied the allegations and gave inconsistent accounts, including references to a fictitious third party. He was also seen fleeing when police arrived and was later arrested after a chase.
The High Court convicted him of murder and preventing lawful burial of a body, sentencing him to life imprisonment, with the judge commending the thoroughness of the investigation despite the absence of a body or eyewitnesses.
𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓
