Ex-Husband and In-Laws of Model Abby Choi Face Trial Years After Dismembered Remains Found in Soup Pot

The murder trial of three men accused of killing and dismembering Model Abby Choi began in Hong Kong on Monday, more than three years after the socialite's remains were found in a refrigerator and a cooking pot at a rented village house.

Alex Kwong Kong-chi, his father Kwong Kau and his brother Anthony Kwong Kong-kit appeared together at the High Court, jointly charged with murder and preventing the lawful burial of a body in connection with Choi's death in February 2023.

A City Stunned by the Discovery

To recall, Choi, 28, a mother of four and well-known figure on Hong Kong's fashion and social scene, was reported missing on 21 February 2023 after failing to pick up her daughter from school, according to police accounts cited in local reporting.

Three days later, officers searching a ground-floor unit in Lung Mei Village, Tai Po, discovered human remains that would shock a city where violent crime is rare.

Two legs believed to belong to Choi were found inside a freezer, while her skull, ribs and hair were recovered from a large cooking pot, with some remains appearing to have been cooked alongside vegetables such as green radishes and carrots, ABC News and other outlets reported at the time.

Police also seized a meat slicer, an electric saw, clothing and protective equipment from the property, and later combed a landfill in search of further remains and evidence.

The three men were arrested shortly after the discovery. Alex Kwong was taken into custody at a ferry pier, allegedly attempting to flee Hong Kong by speedboat, while his brother, who had been working as Choi's driver, and their father were detained soon after, according to earlier reports.

Police said Choi had been involved in a financial dispute with her former husband and his family before her death, though the full circumstances remain to be tested in court.

Trial Opens Amid Heavy Public Interest

The proceedings opened on 21 September 2026, with around 100 members of the public queuing to watch the hearing and a live broadcast arranged outside the courtroom to accommodate the crowd, local media reported.

All three defendants wore masks and appeared calm as they sat in separate rows of the dock, with five Correctional Services officers present, Dimsum Daily noted.

Alex Kwong, described in court papers as 30 and unemployed, sat alongside his father Kwong Kau, 67 and retired, and his brother Anthony Kwong Kong-kit, 33, a driver, each facing one count of murder alleging they killed Choi on 21 February 2023, and one count of preventing the lawful burial of her body between 21 and 23 February that year. If convicted of murder, they face life imprisonment under Hong Kong law.

The jury trial is expected to last 45 working days and could run until December, with Senior Counsel Charlotte Draycott leading the prosecution and seasoned barristers Andrew Raffell, Oliver Davies and Trevor Beel representing the three accused, according to the South China Morning Post and other local reports.

Deputy High Court Judge Sir Brian Keith is presiding, and parts of the early legal arguments have been subject to reporting restrictions until the trial concludes.

A High-Profile Life Cut Short

Before her death, Choi frequently attended international fashion events and shared images from shoots and shows on social media. Days before she vanished, she posted about attending a Dior show at Paris Fashion Week, the Associated Press noted, and had previously appeared at the Elie Saab Spring Summer 2023 Haute Couture show and on the digital cover of L'Officiel Monaco.

She shared two children with Alex Kwong, later remarried and had two younger children with her second husband, according to earlier reporting.

The case has drawn intense public interest in Hong Kong and abroad, with spectators filling the public gallery and others watching via the live feed as the court dealt with preliminary issues before jury selection later in the week.

Prosecutors are expected to deliver their opening statement after the jury is empanelled, setting out the Crown's account of what happened in that Tai Po village house in February 2023.

Nothing is confirmed yet beyond the charges and the broad timeline set out in court documents, so everything should be taken with a grain of salt until evidence is tested over the coming weeks. IBTimes UK cannot independently verify these claims, so take everything lightly.