Taiwanese actor Lee Wei named suspect in murder of woman allegedly abused by religious group members

Taiwanese actor Lee Wei named suspect in woman’s murder

On Monday (24 Feb), Taiwanese actor Lee Wei was named a suspect in the murder of a woman that occurred in July 2024.

The woman, surnamed Tsai, was found dead at a Buddhist group’s meeting place in Taipei’s Da’an District.

Prosecutors and police searched Lee’s home before resummoning him for testimony, officially naming him as a defendant.

The 44-year-old and his wife, surnamed Chien, were released on bail the same day, with Lee posting NT$300,000 (S$12,000) and Chien NT$150,000 (S$6,000).

Lee had been previously questioned as a witness three times in January, according to Focus Taiwan.

Woman subjected to punishment by members of religious group

Ms Tsai, an accountant for the religious group, was allegedly punished due to dissatisfaction with her handling of the group’s finances.

Reports suggest that she had been subjected to physical abuse and bullying by Buddhist writer Wang Yun, senior female disciples, and other followers of the group.

On 24 July 2024, during a meeting at a restaurant near the group’s headquarters, she was reportedly forced to kneel and repent for several hours.

This intense physical punishment, combined with minimal food and prolonged emotional distress, is believed to have contributed to her death.

She was later found lying on the ground of the group’s meeting place, with bruises on her body and no vital signs.

An autopsy confirmed that she died from rhabdomyolysis, a condition involving the rapid breakdown of damaged skeletal muscle, often caused by direct trauma.

Body dumped at meeting place

CCTV footage captured the religious group’s chief executive surnamed Wu, a woman surnamed Chiang, another male devotee surnamed Lee, and Ms Tsai attending a study session at a restaurant.

After the meeting, Lee, Wu, and Chiang were seen pushing Ms Tsai’s lifeless body in a trolley cart from the restaurant to the meeting place.

Once there, they dumped her body and left without making any attempt to call emergency services.

Following her death, it was revealed that Ms Tsai’s bank deposits, amounting to more than NT$2 million (S$81,000), had been emptied.

New evidence includes a secret audio recording in which Lee Wei was heard allegedly instructing believers on how to respond to police and prosecutors, advising them to claim “I don’t remember” or “I forgot” when questioned.

He reportedly also coached them not to mention who was present during the corporal punishment of Ms Tsai.

This recording was secretly made by a concerned believer who feared the situation would escalate, and it has become a key piece of evidence in the case.

Currently, 13 individuals are facing charges in the case, with four already detained.

Lee, a former actor known for his role in ‘Toast Boy’s Kiss’ during the 2000s and as part of the pop duo WeWe, became a devout follower of Buddhism in recent years after leaving showbiz.

Also read: 29-year-old man in Taiwan dies after family suffocates him as part of exorcism ritual

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Featured image adapted from CPOP Home and CNA.