The Abby Choi Murder: A Timeline of Betrayal

Timeline of Events: The Abby Choi Murder Case

Pre-2005:

• Prior to 2005: Kwong Kau, Abby Choi's former father-in-law, serves as a police sergeant and is awarded the Hong Kong Police Long Service Medal in 2001.

• 2005: Kwong Kau resigns from the police force after allegedly being involved in a rape case.

2012-2017:

• 2012: Abby Choi marries Alex Kwong.

• 2014-2015: Alex Kwong allegedly defrauds victims of approximately HK$5 million in a gold investment business and is wanted by the police for years after jumping bail in a fraud case.

• 2015: Abby Choi and Alex Kwong divorce after a three-year marriage, during which they had two children (a son and a daughter). Abby Choi maintains a close relationship with her ex-husband's family and continues to provide financial support.

• 2016: Abby Choi holds a wedding ceremony with Chris Tam Fong-Chun, though their marriage is never legally registered. They later have two children together.

• 2017: Jenny Li, Abby Choi's former mother-in-law, is reportedly declared bankrupt.

Pre-February 2023:

• Abby Choi buys a luxury property in Kadoorie Hill, Ho Man Tin, under Kwong Kau's name. She reportedly promises to relocate her ex-husband and his family members elsewhere.

• Kwong Kau expresses fierce opposition to Abby Choi's plan to sell the Kadoorie Hill property, leading to several arguments. Police believe this property dispute, worth tens of millions of dollars, is the motive for the murder.

• Abby Choi employs Anthony Kwong, her former brother-in-law, as her personal driver and business partner. They are directors of companies that owned Bear Bear Snack, a pancake stall involved in contractual disputes.

• 2019: Anthony Kwong is sued by a bank for unpaid debt.

• Six months prior to February 2023: Kwong Kau begins a relationship with Ng "Yung Yung," a masseuse.

February 2023 - Present:

• Early February 2023: Kwong Kau rents a secluded village house in Tai Po. Police believe this property was rented specifically for the murder.

• Mid-February 2023: Ng "Yung Yung" allegedly helps rent a luxury flat in Arch Sky Tower in West Kowloon for HK$40,000 for a month, believed to be for harboring Alex Kwong.

• February 19, 2023: Abby Choi makes her last social media post, featuring a photo shoot for L’Officiel Monaco magazine.

• February 21, 2023 (Afternoon): Abby Choi is last seen at her home in Kadoorie Hill, Ho Man Tin. CCTV footage shows her being picked up by a seven-seater car driven by Anthony Kwong. She was reportedly on her way to pick up her daughter but never arrived. Police believe she was attacked in the car and fell unconscious before being taken to the village house.

• February 22, 2023: A missing person's report for Abby Choi is filed. Suspects allegedly dispose of bags of evidence (potentially body parts, clothes, phone, or weapons).

• February 24, 2023: Abby Choi's dismembered, headless body is discovered at the rented village house in Tai Po. Investigators find a meat slicer, an electric saw, tools, and soup pots containing human remains. Parts of her body are also found in a refrigerator.

• February 25, 2023: Police arrest three suspects: Anthony Kwong (former brother-in-law), Kwong Kau (former father-in-law), and Jenny Li (former mother-in-law). Alex Kwong (former husband) is actively sought in a citywide manhunt, as he attempts to flee Hong Kong by speedboat with HK$500,000 in cash and luxury watches worth HK$4 million.

• February 26, 2023: Police find Abby Choi's severed head and several ribs inside a large soup pot at the village house. Alex Kwong is arrested at Tung Chung pier on Lantau Island. Ng "Yung Yung" (Kwong Kau's alleged mistress) is arrested on the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui, suspected of helping hide Alex Kwong and rent the village property.

• February 27, 2023: Alex Kwong, Anthony Kwong, and Kwong Kau are formally charged with murder. Jenny Li is charged with one count of perverting the course of justice. All four are denied bail and remanded in custody. The case is adjourned until May. Abby Choi's torso and hands remain missing.

• February 28, 2023: Police begin searching a landfill for missing body parts and evidence, though the search later concludes without finding pertinent evidence.

• March 2, 2023: Lam Shun, a 41-year-old yacht rental agent, is arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting Alex Kwong's escape attempt for a payment of HK$300,000.

• March 6, 2023: DNA testing confirms that the skull and legs found belong to Abby Choi. Lam Shun is granted bail.

• March 7, 2023: Irene Pun Hau-yin, a 29-year-old friend of Alex Kwong, is arrested in Shenzhen, China, for abetting his attempted escape and is handed over to Hong Kong authorities. Abby Choi's mother files a court injunction to block Kwong Kau from selling the disputed luxury apartment.

• March 8, 2023: Irene Pun Hau-yin is charged and later granted bail of HK$50,000 with a travel ban.

• March 11, 2023: A ritual to pay respects to Abby Choi is held.

• May 8, 2023: A pre-trial conference is held. Prosecutors confirm that DNA matching Abby Choi's was found in Anthony Kwong's car and that no more arrests are expected. Over 30 exhibits are sent for DNA processing. The case is granted a further 12 weeks for investigation.

• June 18, 2023: Abby Choi's funeral is conducted.

• December 2023: Alex Kwong, Kwong Kau, and Anthony Kwong are additionally charged with preventing Abby Choi's burial.

• April 2024: Lam Shun and Irene Pun Hau-yin are jointly charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice by assisting Alex Kwong's escape.

• June 19, 2024: Alex Kwong is sentenced to 3.5 years imprisonment for six unrelated charges of theft and jumping bail, to which he pleaded guilty.

• June 27, 2025: Sentencing is set for Lamb Shan and Irene Pun.

• As of late 2024/early 2025: Murder charges against Alex Kwong, Kwong Kau, and Anthony Kwong are still pending, to be heard in Hong Kong's High Court, with no trial date yet announced.

Cast of Characters:

Victim:

• Abby Choi Tin-fung (蔡天鳳): A 28-year-old Hong Kong model, socialite, and influencer. She was a rising star in the fashion world with over 100,000 Instagram followers and had been featured in major fashion magazines. She maintained a close, financially supportive relationship with her former husband's family even after their divorce. Her personal net worth was estimated to be over HK$100 million. She was murdered due to a dispute over a luxury property she had bought under her former father-in-law's name.

Primary Suspects (Former In-Laws):

• Kwong Kau (鄺球): (65 years old) Abby Choi's former father-in-law and the alleged mastermind behind her murder. He is a former police sergeant who resigned in 2005 due to an alleged rape case. He was reportedly unhappy with Choi's plan to sell the Kadoorie Hill property. He rented the village house where Choi's dismembered body was found. Charged with murder.

• Alex Kwong Kong-chi (鄺港智): (28 years old) Abby Choi's former husband and father of two of her children. He was reportedly jobless and had been wanted by police for years for jumping bail in a fraud case (allegedly defrauding victims of HK$5 million in a gold investment business from 2014-2015). He was arrested trying to flee Hong Kong by speedboat. Charged with murder and later sentenced for theft and jumping bail.

• Anthony Kwong Kong-kit (鄺港傑): (31-32 years old) Abby Choi's former brother-in-law and Alex Kwong's elder brother. He worked as Abby Choi's personal driver and former business partner. He had a close relationship with Choi and was the last person seen with her alive in his car. He had also been sued for unpaid debt. Charged with murder.

• Jenny Li Sui-heung (李瑞香): (63 years old) Abby Choi's former mother-in-law and Alex and Anthony Kwong's mother. A retiree who was declared bankrupt in 2017. While not directly involved in the murder, she is accused of being aware of the plan and was charged with perverting the course of justice.

Secondary Suspects / Accomplices:

• Ng "Yung Yung" (伍志榮): (47 years old) Kwong Kau's alleged mistress for six months. She is a masseuse. She allegedly helped to rent the village property where Choi's body was found and a luxury flat used to harbor Alex Kwong. Charged with assisting a murder suspect.

• Lam Shun (林舜): (41 years old) An employee of a yacht rental company and a friend of Alex Kwong. Arrested for allegedly aiding and abetting Alex Kwong's attempt to flee Hong Kong by boat, accepting a payment of HK$300,000. Charged with abetting a murder suspect and later with conspiracy to obstruct justice.

• Irene Pun Hau-yin (潘巧賢): (29 years old) A friend of Alex Kwong. Arrested in Shenzhen, China, and handed over to Hong Kong authorities for allegedly abetting Alex Kwong in his attempted escape. Charged with abetting a murder suspect and later with conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Other Mentioned Individuals:

• Chris Tam Fong-Chun (譚方駿): Abby Choi's current partner and father of two of her children. His wealthy father is a founder of the restaurant chain Tamjai Yunnan Mixian. He publicly expressed grief and promised to care for all four of Abby's children.

• Tam Chuk-kwan (譚澤均): Chris Tam Fong-Chun's father and a founder of Tamjai Yunnan Mixian.

• Cheung Yin-fa (張燕花): Abby Choi's mother, who filed a court injunction to block Kwong Kau from selling the disputed property.

• Tsoi Cho-san (蔡楚生): Abby Choi's stepfather, who, along with her mother, made a fortune in construction and mining in mainland China.

• Aaron Kwok and Moka Fang: Hong Kong actor and his wife, who were close friends with Abby Choi and expressed their devastation over her murder.

• Alan Chung: Police Superintendent with the Hong Kong Police Force, who provided updates on the investigation.

• Understanding the complete Abby Choi murder timeline helps shed light on the investigative steps still ahead