Today’s case will tell the story of a honeymoon with the most unexpected and tragic ending, one that’s almost impossible to imagine.
Christe Chen, 36 years old and of Chinese descent, traveled with her husband to the luxurious Turtle Island resort in Fiji.
Amid the stunning surroundings, she could never have imagined that just two days later she would meet a tragic and violent end on the island.
Meanwhile, her husband mysteriously vanished without a trace.
The private paradise of Turtle Island resort in Fiji, located in the Yasawa islands, is considered one of the most exclusive vacation spots in the region.
It hosts only 14 couples at a time with all-inclusive service provided by the resort.
The island boasts 12 private beaches and 14 villas along with activities such as snorkeling, fishing, massages, and horseback riding.
Guests can enjoy the purest relaxation and romance imaginable.
The resort is also famous as the filming location for the 1980 movie The Blue Lagoon.
Celebrities, including Britney Spears and her former husband, have vacationed there.
Naturally, such exclusivity comes at a high price, with nightly rates reaching $3,500.
On July 9, 2022, Chen arrived at the resort for her honeymoon with her husband.
However, she missed breakfast on the first morning.
The villa’s private butler intended to check on her but noticed the “do not disturb” sign on the door and decided not to interfere, assuming the couple had a passionate night and were simply sleeping in.
But by lunchtime, the couple had still not appeared, and the butler began to worry.
Guests also reported hearing loud arguments and screaming from the couple’s villa the previous night.
Concerned, the butler went to check on them, but knocking on the door repeatedly yielded no response.
The staff had no choice but to use a spare key to enter.
The scene inside was almost too much to bear.
Blood was splattered across the bathroom, the toilet lid was broken, and the bathroom window shattered.
Chen’s lifeless body was found crumpled between the toilet and the wall in the small bathroom space, her body covered in injuries.
Her husband, Bradley Dawson, who should have been by her side during the honeymoon, was nowhere to be found.
Police were promptly notified and arrived at the scene.
Upon examination, Chen’s body showed numerous external injuries, with her facial muscles torn and her features nearly unrecognizable.
She had sustained severe blunt force trauma to the head, resulting in a fractured skull and critical internal bleeding identified as the primary cause of death.
It’s horrifying to imagine the brutal violence she endured during that fateful night.
Chen’s passport, wallet, and phone remained in the villa.
Dawson’s phone was also left behind, and his GPS watch was found on the beach outside the villa, but his passport and wallet were missing.
The vanished husband became the prime suspect.
However, despite a thorough search of the resort and neighboring islands, police could not locate him.
According to the investigation, the couple had married in February, less than six months earlier.
In their wedding photos, Chen gazes lovingly at her husband, holding a bouquet, exuding sweetness and happiness.
They should have been in the blissful stage of their honeymoon.
So what led to this horrifying tragedy, and where did Dawson go?
According to the investigation, the victim, Christy Chen, was born into a Chinese American family in Memphis, Tennessee, as an only child.
Chen was well cared for and raised in a loving and supportive environment.
Coming from a well-off family, she often traveled with her parents to her friends.
She was incredibly sweet, kind, and fun-loving, known for her lively personality, generosity, and thoughtful nature.
She was always willing to help others and easily made friends.
According to those close to her, Chen had only good qualities and no known bad habits.
Chen enjoyed sharing her life on social media, posting moments from her travels, pictures with friends, snapshots of her pets, and other joyful experiences.
She appeared to lead a carefree and energetic life.
A talented baker, she had undergone professional training and even ran her own bakery in Denver.
However, she harbored a long-standing dream of becoming a pharmacist, which led her to return to Tennessee in 2017 to continue her education.
During her studies, she excelled academically and was awarded the Excellence in Academics Award in 2021 for her outstanding clinical communication skills.
After graduating from the University of Tennessee, she was hired as a pharmacist by the Kroger Supermarket Pharmacy in Memphis.
In addition to her day job, she actively researched the social determinants of health, focusing particularly on low-income areas.
In 2015, Chen met Dawson at a bachelorette party hosted by a friend, but their relationship didn’t progress at the time.
It wasn’t until six years later, in 2021, that they reconnected in Memphis.
By then, Dawson was 38 years old and working as an IT engineer for a private nonprofit organization called Youth Villages based in Memphis.
The organization primarily helped children and families struggling with emotional, psychological, and behavioral issues.
Friends of Chen speculated that their shared passion for running and charity work likely brought them together.
After just three months of dating, they made the quick decision to marry.
Chen was thrilled about the wedding, managing to plan the entire event in just 26 days.
She excitedly told her friends, “I feel incredibly happy just thinking about getting married and having children.”
On February 18, 2022, Chen and Dawson held their wedding at a historic hotel in Memphis.
Although the ceremony was attended by just over 20 people, it was warm and romantic.
Many of Chen’s friends were surprised by her sudden decision to get married, as most had never met Dawson before.
After the wedding, the couple moved into a new home valued at $200,000 in Memphis and began eagerly preparing for their honeymoon in Fiji.
Before departing, Chen shared her excitement with a neighbor, saying, “I’m about to go on a honeymoon in paradise.”
Tragically, her words would come true in the most heartbreaking way as she lost her life on the island that was meant to be their paradise.
Following the incident, police began a relentless search for Dawson.
It wasn’t until 36 hours later that they received a report from a man that led them to Dawson.
The informant, Ratu Lele, a local resident of Matacawalevu Island, approximately 1.2 miles from the resort, reported encountering Dawson on the afternoon of July 10, around 3 p.m.
Dawson was alone on the island, wearing a disheveled white T-shirt and brown shorts, appearing anxious and agitated.
His clothing looked rumpled as if he had just woken up, and his palms and feet bore bruises, with blood still seeping from his injuries.
Ratu Lele speculated that the man might have fallen into the sea and been cut by coral, so he brought Dawson water and food.
However, Dawson refused and insisted he was fine, asking only for Ratu Lele’s help to contact the police.
The man, reeking of alcohol, repeatedly and nonsensically said, “We had an argument,” but he never mentioned harming his wife.
Ratu Lele tried to calm Dawson down and asked him to explain what had happened.
Dawson told him, “I left my wife at the hotel on Turtle Island and kayaked here around 2 a.m.”
However, there was no kayak nearby, and the kayak he referred to was never found.
This statement stunned Ratu Lele, because while the Yasawa islands are home to several resorts and backpackers, snorkelers or surfers occasionally appear on the islands or beaches, but visitors from Turtle Island are rare.
The wealthy guests of Turtle Island typically don’t leave their private resorts or their personal butlers.
Three police officers from the investigation team quickly arrived on Matacawalevu Island.
They found Dawson carrying a passport, over $1,000 in cash, as well as Chen’s credit card and driver’s license.
The officers first transported Dawson back to Turtle Island and then to Lautoka, where he was charged with murder.
During his initial interrogation, Dawson admitted to the crime but refused to sign a confession.
Shortly afterward, after consulting with a lawyer, he retracted his earlier statement and adamantly denied any involvement in his wife’s death.
Exhibiting guilty behavior, Dawson was unwilling to cooperate with the investigation and refused to provide a DNA sample.
Later, under a court order, he was compelled to agree to a DNA test.
Dawson claimed that both he and his wife were intoxicated that night and did have an argument to give each other space.
He said he left his wife in the room and went for a walk before kayaking to the neighboring island.
His stated intention was to ease the tension and give her time to calm down.
He also said that while their scuffle might have caused her to fall and get hurt, he was completely sober when he left, insisting that it was all an accident.
In the days that followed, Dawson appeared to be in deep sorrow during an interview while in custody.
He said his wife meant everything to him and they were supposed to have a wonderful life together.
He expressed immense grief, claiming he constantly thought about her.
However, Dawson’s statements were riddled with contradictions.
If he truly loved his wife as he claimed, how could he leave her injured without seeking help?
Not only did he fail to call for emergency services, but he also made no effort to save her.
This suggests that her survival was not a priority for him.
Furthermore, if Chen was still alive when he left, why would he flee in the middle of the night, taking her passport and wallet with him?
Chen and Dawson had married just three months after meeting, prompting many to question whether Chen truly knew the man she had married.
Although Dawson had no criminal record, was he truly as trustworthy and honorable as Chen believed?
When reporters located Dawson’s ex-girlfriend, her revelations finally uncovered the truth about who Dawson really was.
Dawson’s ex-girlfriend, Kristen Baker, revealed that he had always been a man with a volatile temper.
In 2005, when both were students at the University of Tennessee, Baker dated Dawson and their relationship developed quickly.
Initially, Dawson came across as charming, and their romance was intense and fast-paced.
He expressed a strong desire for wealth, luxury travel, and an extravagant lifestyle.
Notably, he had an unusual obsession with Fiji, constantly muttering, “Fiji, Fiji, I have to go to Fiji.”
As the relationship deepened, Baker discovered Dawson’s possessive and controlling nature.
He was highly manipulative and prone to verbal threats, especially when intoxicated.
When drunk, he seemed like a completely different person and often wouldn’t remember his actions the next day.
Eventually, Baker tried to end the relationship, but Dawson responded by shoving her onto a bed and physically assaulting her.
It wasn’t until their second year together that Baker managed to cut ties with him entirely.
Baker also disclosed that before marrying Chen, Dawson had been previously married.
Born in Middletown, New York, Dawson had tied the knot for the first time in Fiji in September 2019.
According to divorce records from Shelby County Court, Dawson filed for divorce in September 2021, citing irreconcilable differences.
The marriage did not produce any children.
He quickly reached a property settlement agreement and finalized the divorce on January 11, 2022.
Just one month later, he married Chen.
This timeline indicates that Dawson was still legally married when he started dating Chen.
Given Chen’s trusting nature, it’s likely she was unaware of his marital status at the time; otherwise, she might not have agreed to marry him so hastily.
Chen’s whirlwind romance with Dawson bore striking similarities to Baker’s relationship with him.
Unfortunately, Chen did not escape the relationship as Baker did, ultimately falling victim to a devastating tragedy.
Clearly, both the marriage and the honeymoon disaster were shrouded in deception.
Dawson continued to deny responsibility, forcing the police to gather more evidence to build a case against him.
They began by interviewing guests who were present on the island that evening.
According to witnesses on the night of July 8, the couple attended a party called “Family Fun Night” on the island.
Initially, they seemed to be having a great time, drinking and dancing.
However, as the evening progressed, both became heavily intoxicated.
In his drunken state, Dawson began flirting with and behaving inappropriately toward other women at the party.
This upset Chen, and tensions between the couple escalated as a result.
After leaving the party, the couple argued on the beach.
They didn’t return to their villa until midnight, but the argument continued.
Guests in the neighboring villa reported hearing loud noises, followed by a woman’s cry of pain and the sound of a heavy impact.
After that, everything went silent.
The next day, these guests filed a noise complaint with the hotel.
With this information combined with Dawson’s unsigned confession, the sequence of events began to take shape.
Initially, Dawson told police that both he and Chen drank heavily during the party.
He also consumed a traditional local drink called Kava, dancing to the music while drinking.
On their way back to the villa, they argued, though he claimed he couldn’t remember the exact reason.
Once they returned, they changed clothes and got into bed.
Dawson said he attempted to reconcile by hugging his wife, but she pushed him away and angrily told him she was considering whether to stay in the marriage.
This led to another argument, escalating from the bedroom to the bathroom.
In the heat of the moment, Chen pushed Dawson, and he lost control, resulting in a physical altercation.
The situation spiraled, with the toilet lid breaking, the bathroom window shattering, and the room resembling a battlefield.
After the fight, Dawson noticed his wife injured and bleeding profusely with a visible wound on her face.
Panicking, he claimed he left the villa to cool off and eventually kayaked to Matacawalevu Island.
Based on Dawson’s initial statement and the accounts of other guests, it was evident the couple argued while intoxicated.
According to the lawyer representing Chen’s family, she may have learned from staff that Dawson had previously visited Turtle Island for another honeymoon.
This detail could explain why Dawson avoided disclosing the reason for their argument in the early hours.
The argument in the villa escalated into physical violence.
Police suspect, based on the scene and the head injury Chen sustained, that Dawson likely struck her with the toilet lid, causing it to break.
Such a brutal act is far from the accident Dawson described.
After severely injuring his wife, it’s likely Dawson was overwhelmed by the situation and left the villa to plan how to deal with the police.
A night watchman witnessed Dawson walking around Turtle Island before returning to the villa.
It appears Dawson then prepared to flee, retrieving his passport, wallet, and Chen’s driver’s license from the villa.
He likely intended to escape to Fiji’s main island and leave the country.
However, since no boats were available that night, he resorted to kayaking, drunk and disoriented in the dark.
He unknowingly paddled in the wrong direction, ending up on Matacawalevu Island.
After being charged with murder, Dawson’s lawyer revealed to the press that his client had been mentally unstable for days, barely able to speak.
The lawyer claimed the incident had left Dawson deeply distressed and in a state of despair from which he gradually recovered.
However, whether Dawson’s anguish stemmed from the tragic death of his wife or the fear of losing his freedom is a question that most people likely already have an answer to.
The ones truly devastated by this tragedy were Chen’s parents.
When they first heard the terrible news, they thought it was a cruel joke.
After all, they were the ones who had paid for the honeymoon to Turtle Island, expecting their daughter and son-in-law to have a blissful vacation.
Instead, they were met with the heart-wrenching news of their daughter’s untimely death.
Three days after the incident, Chen’s parents rushed to Fiji.
When they saw their daughter’s body beaten beyond recognition, they were consumed by regret and grief, crying uncontrollably.
To make matters worse, due to the severity of Chen’s injuries, the hospital advised the family not to preserve the body for transport.
As a result, they were forced to cremate her remains in Fiji and bring her ashes back to the United States.
However, this decision faced criticism from former New York chief medical examiner Doctor Baden.
He argued, “Even soldiers who die on the battlefield are brought home in coffins, not ashes.”
Chen’s body could have been transported in a sealed casket back to the United States for further forensic analysis; if someone told her family that her body wasn’t suitable for transport, they were likely being misled.
On December 12, 2024, after a week-long trial at Lautoka High Court in Fiji, Judge Tui found Dawson guilty of murder.
The judge stated that Dawson’s actions—carrying his passport and wallet at the time of his arrest and discarding his GPS watch beforehand—demonstrated clear intent to flee.
After thoroughly analyzing all the evidence, Judge Tui concluded that the defense’s testimony was unreliable and inadmissible, while the prosecution’s evidence was credible and convincing.
He firmly believed Dawson was the sole perpetrator of his wife’s murder.
Dawson will remain in custody in Fiji until sentencing on February 27, 2025, where he is expected to receive a life sentence.
Thus, the first case in this video comes to a close, but it offers lessons we should all reflect upon.
Domestic violence often creates a vicious cycle that progressively worsens.
The first instance of abuse, whether it’s a slap, a shove, or any form of aggression, should never be ignored.
Instead, we must take steps to protect ourselves and seriously re-evaluate such relationships.
Now, let us move on to the next horrifying case.
The location of this case is Mount Rugu in Taiwan, standing at 1,280 feet.
The mountain is named Rugu because its shape resembles a woman’s breast.
Although not very tall, on a clear day, visitors can see Taipei 101, located about 37 miles away.
Recognizing its business potential, many entrepreneurs have set up night-viewing spots on the slopes, attracting couples to enjoy the scenic vistas; it’s even a popular site for marriage proposals.
On October 7, 2014, after several days of continuous rain, the skies finally cleared.
A remote-controlled airplane enthusiast took advantage of the good weather to visit the mountain.
With autumn underway and northeasterly winds blowing, Mount Rugu’s location created ideal conditions for the airplane to carve beautiful arcs in the air.
However, for some reason, even as an experienced operator, he repeatedly encountered issues with the airplane crashing.
Initially, he didn’t think much of it and went into the tall grass to retrieve it, but by the third crash, he began to sense something was wrong.
The area was overgrown with grass taller than him.
Within the dense grass of Mount Rugu, he noticed a narrow path that seemed to have been trampled by frequent foot traffic.
Following the path, he reached a flat clearing where he found his airplane.
Strangely, all three crashes had occurred in this exact spot.
As he picked up the airplane, he noticed a faint white object in the grass.
At first, he reassured himself that it was probably just trash or the bones of a small animal, but upon closer inspection, he was horrified to realize it was a human leg bone.
He immediately reported the discovery to the police.
When the police arrived and began excavating, they uncovered a human skeleton missing its hands and feet, with only a small amount of tissue remaining.
The body appeared to have been buried there for quite some time.
A forensic examination revealed that the skeleton belonged to a woman between 4′ 9″ and 5′ 1″ tall, aged between 35 and 40, with short brownish-blonde hair.
Due to the hard soil on Mount Rugu, the shallow grave, and the heavy rains in recent days, the body had been partially uncovered, leading to its accidental discovery by the crashed airplane.
The police’s first task was to identify the skeleton.
Coincidentally, in February 2014, a wealthy woman from the Yangmingshan area had been reported missing.
Following her disappearance, tens of millions of Taiwanese dollars had been withdrawn from her bank accounts; her much younger boyfriend was under police surveillance, but no leads had emerged.
Investigators suspected that the wealthy woman might have been killed; they hoped to identify the skeleton and potentially solve a major case.
However, DNA testing dashed their hopes, confirming the skeleton did not belong to the missing woman.
The investigation had to start anew from the beginning.
Police ruled out suicide or accidental death.
The skeleton was completely naked, with no clothes, shoes, or socks found nearby.
It was highly improbable that a person would strip off all their clothing and run barefoot up a mountain.
After a thorough forensic examination, investigators discovered evidence of blunt force trauma on the skull, further supporting the theory that this was a murder case.
DNA extracted from the skeleton did not match any records in existing databases.
The police noted that the skeleton was missing only its hands and feet and was unclothed.
In Taiwanese cultural beliefs, such treatment of a body is thought to prevent the deceased from seeking revenge and bring them shame.
Acting on this, the officers burned offerings of paper money, clothes, and shoes, both to bring peace to the deceased and to seek help in solving the case.
Coincidentally, they discovered that the skeleton had signs of missing and filled teeth along with a set of dentures.
The police became convinced that the victim must have a dental treatment record.
On October 16, police released information about the victim’s dental characteristics and expanded the investigation area from Yangmingshan, where Mount Rugu is located, to nearby regions such as Bade, Guishan, and Taoyuan.
They contacted hundreds of dental clinics, but no useful leads were found.
Just as hope seemed lost, a new lead emerged.
While cross-checking missing persons in the Yangmingshan area and making calls to their families, one phone call caught the investigator’s attention.
As soon as the police introduced themselves, before they could explain the purpose of the call, the man on the other end interrupted, asking, “Are you calling about the case on Mount Rugu? Let me tell you that’s definitely my wife, Zung Ma-lan.”
The officers were taken aback and immediately asked why he was so certain.
While the man did not provide a clear explanation, the information he gave about his wife matched all the characteristics of the victim.
Clinging to a fragile hope, the police asked him to search his wife’s belongings for any dental records.
Surprisingly, he found a prescription bag from a dental clinic in Zhongli on her vanity table.
This discovery marked a significant breakthrough in the case.
The police immediately dispatched officers to the dental clinic on October 28.
They, along with Ma-lan’s husband, Lin Mang-da, arrived at the clinic.
They learned that the dentist only worked in Zhongli once a week, and fortunately, that day was his clinic day.
Upon seeing the photographs, the dentist immediately recognized the dentures as his own work.
When shown a photo of Ma-lan, he confidently identified her as the owner of the dentures.
To confirm with certainty, the clinic retrieved her dental records, including molds and X-rays, which verified that the skeleton belonged to 41-year-old Ma-lan.
The dentist explained that he remembered Zung Ma-lan vividly because she left a strong impression on him.
He recounted that every time she visited, she was elegantly dressed; even for treatments covered by insurance, she insisted on paying out of pocket.
After her appointments, she would always leave in a luxury car, embodying the image of a sophisticated lady.
However, what puzzled the dentist was that the man accompanying Ma-lan to her appointments in his memory was not the husband standing with the police; instead, it was the man in the photograph sitting to Ma-lan’s left.
Just as the police were feeling puzzled, Ma-lan’s husband mentioned a name: Hang Gian-he.
The officers immediately asked who this person was and his relationship with Ma-lan.
Her husband hesitated, sometimes calling him a friend, other times claiming he didn’t know much about him.
This inconsistency immediately raised the police’s suspicions.
First, there was the issue of timing; Ma-lan’s husband reported her missing only 10 days after her disappearance.
When the discovery of the skeleton made headlines, it was highly unlikely he hadn’t heard about it yet; he never contacted the police.
Moreover, he claimed that Ma-lan left in a taxi early that morning; however, their home was in a remote rural area.
How could a taxi have arrived there?
These contradictions suggested he might be hiding something, prompting the police to recall the classic adage: “It’s always the husband.”
As a result, they placed Ma-lan’s husband at the top of their suspect list.
The police interviewed Ma-lan’s neighbors, who reported frequently hearing arguments and shouting from her home.
One neighbor even recounted seeing Ma-lan’s husband running outside with a knife in the middle of the night.
These testimonies only deepened the police’s suspicions.
However, when confronted with these accusations, Ma-lan’s husband presented an alibi.
He asked his employer at the goat milk company to provide timesheets for August 2, which confirmed he was delivering goat milk at the time.
The police also verified taxi records which showed Ma-lan had indeed called a cab and traveled to the home of the person her husband had mentioned earlier: local businessman Hang Gian-he.
At this point, Ma-lan’s husband was forced to reveal a story he had endured in shame for years.
After marrying him, Ma-lan became a full-time homemaker, raising their three children while relying entirely on his monthly income of 30,000 New Taiwan dollars (about $1,000) from delivering goat milk.
Due to financial pressure, Ma-lan began participating in a multi-level marketing (MLM) business.
Her good looks and persuasive communication skills made it easy for her to get started.
She initially believed the flexible hours would allow her to balance work and family.
However, MLM required extensive networking, so she began actively participating in social and school-related activities to connect with influential and financially capable individuals.
Before long, she became the president of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) at a local elementary school.
During one PTA event, she met Hang Gian-he, a businessman in the cement industry.
At the time, Gian-he was 43 years old, married to Jang Kwan, 44, with a seven-year-old son.
Gian-he had started his career as a concrete truck driver; later, through a fortunate investment in a friend’s cement factory, he entered the business world.
He was also involved in an organization with members from political and business circles.
His skyrocketing income made him generous, and he admired Ma-lan greatly.
Gian-he introduced her to numerous wealthy clients, significantly boosting her MLM business.
Hang Gian-he pursued Ma-lan aggressively, showering her with lavish gifts.
On New Year’s Eve in 2012, Ma-lan casually mentioned to Gian-he that she had never seen Taipei 101.
Without hesitation, Gian-he drove her to Mount Rugu to enjoy the night view and watch the Taipei 101 fireworks display.
Despite both being married, neither made an effort to hide their extramarital relationship.
At public gatherings, they frequently appeared together and did not shy away from taking photos.
Gian-he even introduced Ma-lan to his Business Association, where new members often mistook them for a married couple.
Ma-lan’s fashion sense transformed from that of a simple homemaker to an elegant and sophisticated lady.
Each time she returned home to see her husband working tirelessly from dawn to dusk, she felt disgusted, even though her husband stayed home to care for their three children, cooking and managing the household while she worked or spent time with Gian-he.
She grew to deeply disdain him for not providing her with the luxurious life she desired.
This contempt led Ma-lan to consider divorce, but her husband firmly opposed the idea, wanting to keep their family intact for the sake of the children.
Even though he was aware of her affair, he endured it in silence.
Frustrated by her inability to get a divorce, Ma-lan became bolder.
She frequently brought Hang Gian-he home, allowing her children to witness the two of them sharing a bed.
After Gian-he gave gifts to her children, she even encouraged them to call him “Dad” in front of her husband.
This humiliation was unbearable for most people.
Ma-lan’s frequent absences from home at night led her husband, Lin Mang-da, to delay reporting her disappearance for 10 days, unsure if she was truly missing.
His hesitation stemmed from the shame of explaining the situation.
Once the police understood the full story, they shifted their focus to Gian-he and began monitoring his phone calls.
In one intercepted call, they discovered that Gian-he had booked a flight for November 12, planning to travel to Nanning, Guangxi.
Acting swiftly, the police deployed a large team to Gian-he’s villa.
When they arrived, his wife, Jang Kwan, was in the kitchen preparing lunch.
Although startled when she opened the door, she tried to remain composed and called Gian-he downstairs.
Gian-he met the police with a calm demeanor.
He admitted to having a relationship with Ma-lan in the past but claimed he didn’t know where she went after an argument.
He even demanded the police provide evidence, accusing them of falsely implicating him.
The police presented the taxi record from the day Ma-lan disappeared, showing that she had traveled to his residence.
However, Gian-he spread his hands in denial, refusing to acknowledge any involvement.
The officers had no choice but to take him into custody.
At this point, the case hit another dead end.
One investigator, however, noted that Ma-lan and Gian-he’s affair had been so open and public that it was highly unlikely his wife, Jang Kwan, didn’t know about it.
The police turned their attention to Jang Kwan, known to be a gentle and disciplined homemaker.
Jang Kwan managed the household and was a devoted Buddhist who regularly visited a nearby temple to pray every morning and evening.
When the police returned for a second visit, they conducted luminol testing in the house and car.
The results revealed large blood stains on the staircase walls, the floor, and the back seat of the car.
Jang Kwan tried to explain, claiming the blood stains were from her son’s leg injury.
However, the police questioned how blood from a leg wound could possibly reach the ceiling.
Unable to provide a reasonable explanation, Jang Kwan began to tremble.
Seizing the moment, the police showed her photos of the skeleton found on Mount Rugu and appealed to her emotions by describing the struggles of Ma-lan’s husband, who was now single-handedly caring for their three children.
Eventually, Jang Kwan broke down.
Jang Kwan admitted that she had long known about Ma-lan’s relationship with her husband, Gian-he.
However, due to her traditional values and reliance on Gian-he, she never dared to confront him, even when he was openly unfaithful.
She tried to convince herself not to be jealous, but deep down, as his wife, she couldn’t bear to share his attention and affection with someone else.
With no outlet for her feelings, Jang Kwan resorted to venting on social media.
Now unable to continue protecting her husband, Jang Kwan recounted the events of that fateful day in the early hours of August 2.
Ma-lan, after drinking, got into an argument with Gian-he over the phone.
It wasn’t the first time they had quarreled.
Ma-lan frequently pressured Gian-he to divorce his wife.
Gian-he never gave a definitive refusal, often offering excuses like his wife having cancer or being in poor health and not having long to live.
Ma-lan, believing these were promises, had clung to hope.
However, as time passed, she saw Gian-he’s family living harmoniously, even taking vacations together, and her patience wore thin.
After hanging up, Ma-lan took a taxi to Gian-he’s house.
Unbeknownst to Gian-he, Ma-lan had secretly taken and duplicated the remote for his garage door, allowing her to enter the house easily.
She headed straight to the fourth floor where Gian-he’s eldest son, Hang Bo-shang, was sleeping.
According to Bo-shang’s later testimony, Ma-lan shone her phone’s flashlight into his face, reeking of alcohol, and shouted that she wanted to see his father.
Mistaking her for an intruder, Bo-shang grabbed a baseball bat from his room and tried to chase her out.
The commotion on the staircase woke Gian-he and Jang Kwan, who were sleeping on the third floor.
They came down to investigate.
Seeing the scene, Gian-he immediately sobered up.
Zung Ma-lan was crying and loudly confronting Gian-he, shouting, “Why are you treating me this way?”
Gian-he replied coldly, “If you cause trouble again, I’ll make sure you die.”
Upon hearing this, Ma-lan cried even louder and even attempted to grab Jang Kwan, perhaps out of anger or sheer frustration.
Hang Gian-he ran into the kitchen, grabbed a fruit knife, and attempted to attack Ma-lan.
Jang Kwan, horrified, called out to her son to stop Gian-he.
However, faced with Ma-lan’s constant screaming, Bo-shang was also at a loss.
Just as Bo-shang managed to wrest the knife away from his father, Ma-lan bit deeply into Gian-he’s right hand.
Enraged, Gian-he grabbed the baseball bat and struck Ma-lan forcefully on the head.
Blood immediately began pouring from the back of her head, and she lost consciousness.
Gian-he and Bo-shang carried Ma-lan’s body down to the first floor.
At this point, Jang Kwan suggested calling an ambulance to take Ma-lan to the hospital, but Gian-he refused.
He reportedly said, “Even if I don’t go crazy, you all will,” implying that saving Ma-lan would only lead to more chaos and drive the family insane.
Gian-he and Bo-shang then loaded Ma-lan onto the back seat of their car.
Once inside, Gian-he muttered, “This needs to be dealt with.”
Gian-he had no intention of taking Ma-lan to the hospital, despite the hospital being just 1.8 miles to the right.
After leaving their home, Gian-he turned left, heading toward Mount Rugu without hesitation.
After driving for less than 5 minutes, Ma-lan suddenly regained consciousness, screaming and crying hysterically from the back seat.
She wrapped her hands around Gian-he’s neck in an attempt to choke him and bit Bo-shang again.
At this point, Gian-he could no longer tolerate the situation.
He pulled over, dragged Ma-lan out of the car despite Bo-shang’s protests, and strangled her to death by the roadside.
Believing the matter was now resolved, Gian-he returned home.
When Jang Kwan asked him where Ma-lan was, he coldly replied, “I took her to the place she loved the most.”
This bitter remark referred to Mount Rugu, where they had once affirmed their relationship as lovers under its night lights.
Adding to the tragedy, the day Gian-he killed Ma-lan was the Qixi Festival, known as Chinese Valentine’s Day.
It’s unclear whether Gian-he’s composure stemmed from incredible psychological fortitude or a complete lack of remorse.
On August 2, the same day he killed Ma-lan, Gian-he joined his business club for a two-day retreat to Laowa Waterfall in Taoyuan.
When some members noticed scratches on his neck and asked about them, Gian-he casually dismissed their concerns, saying, “I got injured while working.”
Even after the murder, Gian-he continued living his life as usual until his arrest in October.
He traveled to Japan with his family, attended fundraising events for his business club, and participated in various meetings and activities.
As for his son, Bo-shang, his testimony portrayed him as merely following his father’s lead and even trying to stop him.
But was he truly innocent?
The evidence painted a different picture.
Not only did Bo-shang accompany his father to work and on trips, but his social media posts showed a disturbing lack of remorse.
On August 2, the day of the crime, Bo-shang posted, “I always sleep so well in the mornings.”
A month after the murder, he invited friends over for a barbecue at their home.
Faced with irrefutable evidence, Gian-he could no longer deny his actions.
He and his wife, Jang Kwan, were both charged as accomplices and brought to trial.
As for Bo-shang, who was only 17 at the time, his case was transferred to the juvenile court system.
Gian-he led the police to the mountain and showed them the pickaxe used in the crime.
He admitted not only to killing Ma-lan but also to stripping off her blood-stained clothes and disposing of them, as well as cutting off her hands and feet.
During the initial trial, Gian-he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
However, while awaiting his appeal, he claimed to have repented by copying Buddhist scriptures in prison, asking the court to reconsider his sentence.
When the judge asked how he thought he should be sentenced, he smiled and replied as lightly as possible.
Realizing his response was inappropriate, Gian-he quickly retracted his smile and promised to compensate Ma-lan’s family with 7 million New Taiwan dollars.
Ultimately, the court reduced his sentence to 15 years and 8 months in prison.
His wife, Jang Kwan, was acquitted of charges of being an accomplice to murder and helping to dispose of the body.
This illicit affair, despite Gian-he’s eventual desire to end it, highlights the complexity of human emotions.
Resentment, jealousy, and bitterness led to actions no one could have predicted.
The consequences of this case did not end with Ma-lan’s death or Gian-he’s imprisonment; both families bore the pain caused by this affair.
After Gian-he’s sentencing, his family lost their primary breadwinner.
Bo-shang, still a high school student, had to take a part-time job at a restaurant to help cover living expenses.
On Jang Kwan’s social media, she once wrote, “Parents are role models for their children; their values and behavior are passed down.”
However, Bo-shang, already in his rebellious teenage years, often clashed with his mother, Jang Kwan—a reflection of the impulsive personality he inherited from Gian-he.
In March 2018, friends and relatives began posting condolences on Bo-shang’s social media page.
It turned out that he had died in a traffic accident, leaving his mother and younger brother to depend on each other for survival.
As for Ma-lan’s husband, he continued to work tirelessly, shouldering the burden of raising their family alone.
This case serves as a tragic reminder of how selfishness can shatter families and destroy happiness for everyone involved.
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Disclaimer : This content may be created by AI for entertainment purposes. Any resemblance to real persons, events, or places is coincidental.
