Hong Kong prosecutors present tools and DNA evidence in Abby Choi murder trial

Murder trial begins in Hong Kong

The trial over the February 2023 killing of 28-year-old model and influencer Abby Choi opened at the High Court of Hong Kong, where prosecutors detailed allegations of premeditated murder against three members of her former family. The defendants are Choi's ex-husband Alex Kwong, 31, his brother Anthony Kwong, 35, and their father Kwong Kau, 68. All three men pleaded not guilty to murder charges when the trial began on Wednesday. The proceedings are scheduled to continue through December. Prosecutors outlined how Choi, who had four children including two with Alex Kwong, was killed after providing financial support to her former in-laws.

Tools and forensic evidence presented

Prosecutor Charlotte Draycott presented evidence of preparations allegedly undertaken up to two weeks before the murder. Receipts and security footage shown to the jury documented the acquisition of an electric saw, a meat grinder, plastic containers, ropes, gloves, a refrigerator, a large cutting board, and a large metal pot. Investigators stated that Kwong Kau inquired with a shop merchant about machinery capable of crushing bones, though he did not complete that specific purchase. Jurors examined a hammer recovered by police that matched skull injuries found on the victim, with forensic analysts identifying DNA from Alex Kwong on its handle. A saw blade carrying traces of human tissue was also recovered from the Tai Po property, where a neighbour reported hearing the sound of an electric saw.

Property dispute behind the killing

According to the prosecution, the dispute originated from Choi's decision in 2022 to sell a luxury flat at the Kadooria residential estate in Ho Man Tin. Choi bought the apartment in 2019 for HK$60 million, roughly 17% below asking price, to house her two children near their paternal grandparents and close to her residence in Kowloon Tong. To avoid property stamp duty, Choi registered the title in the name of Kwong Kau. When Choi decided to put the apartment, then valued at HK$72 million, on the market, Kwong Kau reportedly grew resentful over the planned sale. Audio recordings sent by Choi to her mother and played in court revealed that she called her former father-in-law a crook while expressing regret over her financial generosity.

Prosecutor Charlotte Draycott described the property conflict as the catalyst for the murder plot.

The prosecution says it was her decision to do so that set off the chain of events that led to her death.

Timeline of the abduction and arrests

Investigators detailed the sequence of events surrounding Choi's disappearance on 21 February 2023. Choi entered a vehicle driven by Anthony Kwong under the belief that they were traveling to collect one of her daughters from school, while Alex Kwong waited inside the vehicle. Surveillance cameras tracked the vehicle and a second van to a rented ground-floor house in the Tai Po district. Three days later, on 24 February 2023, police entered the premises and located Choi's dismembered remains, including her skull inside a large cooking pot containing carrots and vegetables. Police arrested Kwong Kau and Anthony Kwong that same day, while Alex Kwong was apprehended on 25 February 2023 as he prepared to leave Hong Kong.