Infamous Horrific Crime Stories from Hong Kong

Ranking in 20th place as one of the safest cities in the world as of 2024, most Hong Kongers sleep soundlessly at night, with their biggest concerns circling around inflated housing prices, a competitive job market, and getting a good education.

However, that’s not to say that Hong Kong hasn’t faced its fair share of tragedies throughout its tumultuous history. Like any city, violent crime is bound to rear its ugly head forward when you least expect it. In a densely populated city like ours, it's impossible to forget the true crime stories from days past that have shaken us to our core.

Infamous Murder Cases in Hong Kong

The Jars Killer

Also known as The Rainy Night Butcher, Lam Kor-wan was a taxi driver who targeted female passengers in the late hours at night by abusing his named profession. His crimes took place between February and July in 1982, strangling his unsuspecting victims with an electrical wire before taking their bodies home and dismembering them.

His disturbing moniker comes from what he would do after dismembering the bodies, choosing to mutilate his victims’ genitalia and preserve them in Tupperware containers. He was eventually caught by authorities after a Kodak shop owner tipped off the cops upon developing Lams’ suspicious film photos.

Braemar Hill Murders

The brutal murders of Island School couple Kenneth McBride and Nicola Myers sent shockwaves throughout the city. Both victims had promising futures ahead of them and were extremely well-liked in their communities.

In 1985, the couple decided to take a stroll in the Braemar Hill countryside to find a place to study for their A-Level examinations. A group of five triad members aged 16 to 25, led by Pang Shun-yee, initially tried to rob the couple – but upon discovering they only had HK$1 on them, the triad members sexually assaulted Myers and eventually beat the couple to death in retaliation.

Milkshake Murderer

In 2003, American expatriate Nancy Kissel was convicted of murdering her husband Robert Kissel in their Hong Kong Parkview apartment. The high-profile case was closely covered by the media for its intrigue as an expat matricide and the mode in which Kissel was able to sedate her husband.

After lacing a milkshake with a cocktail of sedatives, Kissel had their six-year-old daughter deliver the deadly drink to her husband. After the drugs had taken effect and the children were out of the apartment, Kissel proceeded to bludgeon her husband to death, roll up his body and place it in the storeroom of the Parkview apartment complex.

Abby Choi Murder

Just last year, social media influencer and model Abby Choi was reported missing, with parts of her body being discovered at a village in Tai Po; found along with a meat slicer and electric saw, alongside remains of her DNA and tissue in a pot of soup

Currently, there are seven suspects involved in her murder, with three suspects being charged with committing the murder itself: including Choi’s ex-husband, Alex Kwong Kong-chi, Choi’s former brother-in-law Anthony Kwong Kong-kit, and Choi’s former father-in-law Kwong Kau. Investigations and trials are currently ongoing at the time of writing this article.

Hello Kitty Murder

The infamous torture and killing of Fan Man-yee took place in 1999, when 33-year-old Wo Shing Wo triad member Chan Man-lok enlisted two of his henchmen to kidnap Fan and bring her to an apartment complex on Granville Road. For a full month, Chan Man-lok, along with Leung Wai-lun, Lau Ming-fong, and Leung Shing-cho tortured Fan Man-yee with metal pipes, melted plastic and rubbing spices into her open wounds.

She was subject to regular beatings, sometimes while being strung up as a punching bag. Fan was forced to consume human waste, smile, and say that she enjoyed the beatings to avoid harsher torture. Eventually, Fan succumbed to her injuries and passed away from traumatic shock. Her skull was found sewed inside the head of a stuffed Hello Kitty mermaid doll.

Henry Chau Murder

The parricide Glory Chau Wing-ki and Moon Siu Yuet-yee is one of the most jarring modern-day dismemberment cases throughout history. In 2013, Henry Chau, the youngest son of Glory Chau and Moon Siu enlisted the help of friend Angus Tse Chun-kei to ambush his parents and murder them in cold blood.

After succeeding in the murder, Glory and Moon’s bodies were butchered, with some parts cooked and disguised as char siu. The heads of the victim were found inside two separate refrigerators, along with lunch boxes containing microwaved human flesh.

The Yoga Ball Murders

Anaesthetist and associate professor at Chinese University, Khaw Kim-sim, murdered both his wife and 16-year-old daughter in a chilling method that befits a mystery novel. Using a yoga ball filled with carbon monoxide, Khaw’s wife and daughter were found in a yellow Mini Cooper, with the deflated yoga ball in the trunk.

Stunning authorities upon the discovery of the bodies, Khaw was eventually charged with a guilty verdict after contradicting accounts on the purpose of the yoga ball, telling his colleagues that they were for killing rabbits, whilst telling police he meant to use it to kill rats in his home.