The remains of a young woman have been found along a remote road in the vicinity of the Liushishi Mountain in Fuli Township, Taiwan.
The deceased has been identified as 23-year-old Jin, who is believed to have been killed last year.
Source: SET News
According to Taiwan media site SET News, authorities made the grisly discovery after a family member filed a police report on 11 Oct.
Since the report, four individuals — including Ms Jin’s former partner, 27-year-old Zhuang — have been arrested for suspected murder.
It is believed that Ms Jin moved to Hualien in July 2024 to live with Zhuang.
Together, they rented a house with a 26-year-old man surnamed Yang and his 27-year-old wife, Lu, as well as a 25-year-old man surnamed Chen.
Shortly after her move into the new city, Ms Jin was accused of stealing Lu’s mobile phone.
This accusation spiralled into violence when Lu, Yang, and Chen proceeded to tie up the woman and beat her with sticks, leading to fatal injuries.
According to the couple, Zhuang was also present at the scene of the crime.
To cover up traces of their assault, the suspects wrapped Ms Jin’s body in a blanket before placing it in a wooden cabinet.
They then transported the body at night to a remote area near Liushishi Mountain.
After the murder, Zhuang used Ms Jin’s phone to message her family, claiming she was safe, and withdrew money from her bank account.
Source: Andrej Lišakov on Unsplash. Photo for illustration purposes only.
It is reported that Zhuang, who was unemployed, continued messaging Ms Jin’s family pretending to be her and using the deceased’s money for her own expenses.
The crime remained hidden for over a year, but was finally exposed when Zhuang’s sister reported her suspicious financial activity.
Zhuang later confessed to stealing Ms Jin’s savings and revealed that she had been dead for more than a year.
Under questioning, the four individuals involved gave conflicting accounts of the murder.
However, it is believed that Zhuang also participated in the assault.
All four suspects have been arrested and detained without bail due to serious charges, flight risk, and evidence tampering.
Prosecutors cited the premeditated nature of the crime as a key factor in the detention.
Source: SET News
Police have, so far, recovered Ms Jin’s skull, hand bones, and a rib.
Forensic expert Gao Dacheng noted that the missing bones were likely eaten by wildlife during decomposition rather than intentionally removed.
The case has drawn public attention for its brutality and the lengths the perpetrators went to cover up the murder.
Local authorities continue to investigate the case, and police are searching for any additional evidence that could lead to the recovery of Ms Jin’s remaining remains.
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Featured image adapted from SET News.