A bizarre and disturbing murder case that shook Taiwan’s Changhua County earlier this year has taken a step forward in court. A 41-year-old man surnamed Lai was sentenced to one year in prison for the disposal of a body, while his murder charge remains under separate review by the citizen judges’ court.
The incident occurred on February 30, 2024. Lai reportedly visited the home of his 38-year-old ex-girlfriend, surnamed Chu, and encountered her current boyfriend, a man surnamed Lee. Enraged by the sight, Lai allegedly stabbed Lee to death.
What followed was a chilling sequence of events. Lai and Chu fled the scene on a motorcycle, with Chu crouching at the footrest to give the impression only one person was riding. During their escape, Lai even called Chu’s 8-year-old son and told him, “Uncle is dead.”
Later, fearing discovery, the pair returned to the crime scene. Lai cleaned up the evidence, stuffed the victim’s body into a plastic bag, wrapped it in a blanket, and placed it on his motorcycle. They then disposed of the body in a drainage ditch in Dacun Township, Changhua.
The crime eventually came to light, and both Lai and Chu were arrested. During interrogation, Lai admitted to having only completed middle school and previously worked as a water pipe installer with a monthly income of about NT$50,000. He is divorced with three children and no debt.
On June 27, the court sentenced Lai to one year in prison for the crime of body abandonment and ordered the confiscation of the motorcycle used in the disposal. However, the murder charge, considered more serious, is still under trial and has not yet been adjudicated. Prosecutors have charged both Lai and Chu with murder and body abandonment. They remain in custody pending further court proceedings.
