Married Couple Found Dead in Sydney Park Likely Killed Over Gambling Debt

Australian authorities suspect that loan sharks may have killed a married couple whose decaying bodies were discovered in a park in suburban Sydney. 

On Wednesday, homicide detectives from New South Wales (NSW) informed the media that the husband, Jai-Bao “Rex” Chen, 33, had recently incurred a “considerable amount” of debt to a loan shark. 

According to sources who talked to Australia’s Daily Telegraph, Chen was a troubled gambler whose financial situation has become central to the case. 

Last month, Chen and his spouse, Zhuojun “Sally” Li, vanished from their residence in Greenacre, Sydney. Li's body, partially buried and wrapped in plastic, was discovered by a jogger in a park last Monday, triggering an urgent search for Chen. 

Authorities stated that Chen had incurred significant gambling debts just before the pair went missing and they expressed “serious worries” about his well-being. 

Second Corpse Discovered 

On Tuesday afternoon, Chen’s remains were located in a creek roughly 30 feet away from the spot where his wife’s body was found. 

“The body [was] submerged in a creek in water, covered with very thick bush foliage, bulrush reeds, which makes it very difficult to see and has been there for some time,” Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty told reporters.

According to the review of security camera footage, authorities suspect that the couple was murdered in their apartment on November 30, and their remains were transported in a silver Toyota Avensis to Sir Joseph Banks Park in Botany. 

The alleged murderers – two or perhaps three individuals, as per police – then traveled to Sydney Airport and boarded a flight to Queensland. From that point, authorities suspect they escaped abroad, likely heading to China or Taiwan. Detectives confiscated the Toyota at Sydney Airport. 

‘They Were Indebted’ 

Doherty stated that he thought the murderers had utilized Chen’s phone following his death. The phone has been recovered since then. 

He stated that law enforcement believes the double murder is connected to Chen's monetary issues.

"They owed money,” he said. “There was no other criminality that we were aware of, and certainly Sally has unfortunately become a victim because of that.”

Sources informed The Telegraph that Li was not aware of how serious her husband's gambling issue was. 

Doherty referred to Li and Chen as a "regular couple" with no apparent connections to organized crime. However, Chen had multiple drug-related offenses and was required to attend treatment for his "alcohol and drug problems" as a condition of his parole. 

Doherty mentioned that his department is collaborating with Chinese and Taiwanese officials to locate the suspects.