Date Posted: December 18, 2024, at 07:21 AM
Last Updated on: December 18, 2024, at 07:21 AM
Australian authorities suspect that a married couple whose bodies were found decomposed in a Sydney park may have been victims of murder by loan sharks.
Homicide detectives in New South Wales revealed that Jai-Bao “Rex” Chen, 33, had accumulated a substantial debt to a loan shark before his death.
The investigation focuses on Chen as a problem gambler whose financial situation is central to the case, according to sources cited by Australia’s Daily Telegraph.
Chen and his wife, Zhuojun “Sally” Li, went missing from their residence in Greenacre, Sydney, the previous month. Li’s body was found wrapped in plastic in a park, leading to a search for Chen.
Authorities expressed concerns about Chen’s safety due to his significant gambling losses before disappearing with his wife.
Discovery of Second Body
Chen’s body was discovered in a creek close to where Li’s body was located.
“The body was submerged in a creek and covered with dense foliage, making it hard to spot and suggesting it had been there for some time,” remarked Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty.
After reviewing security camera footage, investigators theorize that the couple was murdered in their apartment on November 30, and their bodies were transported to Sir Joseph Banks Park in Botany in a silver Toyota Avensis.
The suspected perpetrators, possibly two or three individuals, then traveled to Sydney Airport and flew to Queensland before potentially fleeing abroad, with suspicions pointing to China or Taiwan. The Toyota was seized at Sydney Airport.
Financial Motive for Crime
Doherty indicated that the killers used Chen’s phone posthumously, which has since been recovered.
Authorities suspect that the double homicide is connected to Chen’s financial troubles.
“They owed money,” he stated. “There was no other criminal activity that we were aware of, and sadly, Sally has become a victim as a result.”
Sources revealed that Li was unaware of the extent of her husband’s gambling issues.
Doherty described Li and Chen as an ordinary couple with no ties to organized crime. Despite having previous drug-related convictions, Chen was mandated to undergo treatment for substance abuse as part of his parole.
Doherty mentioned collaboration with Chinese and Taiwanese authorities to locate the suspects.