A husband found dead with his wife in bushland near Sydney Airport had a “serious and sophisticated” criminal past.
The body of Jai-Bao ‘Rex’ Chen, 33, was found submerged in a creek near Sir Joseph Banks Park in Botany Bay in Sydney’s south on December 17.
The decomposed body of his wife Zhuojun “Sally” Li, which was wrapped in plastic, was discovered eight days earlier by a jogger 10 meters away.
Last week it was revealed that Chen owed a significant amount of money to a loan shark and had a “chronic” gambling habit.
It has since emerged that the Taiwanese resident also had a years-long criminal record for drugs.
Police files obtained by the Sydney Morning Herald showed that Chen was involved in a so-called “dial-a-dealer” drug bust in 2020.
Court documents provided details of a website called LeafedOut that connected dealers with customers across Sydney, with both parties allowed to leave reviews for each other and look at drug menus.
Using the nickname ‘Captain Hook’, Chen delivered cannabis and food, known as edibles, laced with the drug from his silver Holden Vivo to many addresses in the city.
Jai-Bao ‘Rex’ Chen (pictured), the husband of a couple whose bodies were dumped in bushland near Sydney Airport, had a ‘serious and sophisticated’ criminal history
He got good reviews from satisfied customers, but didn’t realize that one of them was an undercover agent who paid him with trackable invoices.
Chen was stopped by police officers on July 17, 2020, after running a red light on William Street in Sydney’s inner suburb of Darlinghurst.
His Holden smelled of cannabis and two sandwich bags filled with the drug were found in his jacket pocket, with five more in the glove compartment.
“He said it was for personal use and that he smokes a lot,” the police document said.
A female passenger, who was not his wife, cooperated with him in the drug deals, police said.
Chen, who showed a Taiwanese driver’s license as identification, had no official employment.
“The crimes involved are serious and sophisticated, involving the use of an online platform to advertise and arrange the supply of prohibited drugs,” police records say.
“He is currently in Australia on a bridging visa and police believe he poses a flight risk.”
The decomposed body of Zhuojun ‘Sally’ Li (pictured) was discovered by a jogger in bushland on December 9
Pictured: Forensic officers examine the site where the bodies of a couple were uncovered
Bags of cannabis and drug-laden edibles were later found at his apartment in Pyrmont, near Sydney’s CBD.
The police file on Chen shows that ‘investigation shows that the supply of prohibited drugs is the suspect’s only source of income’.
In November 2020, Chen pleaded guilty to seven charges of possession or supply of cannabis and was given a 12-month community corrections order.
But 20 months later, in July 2022, he was convicted again of supplying drugs and given an 18-month community corrections order, which expired last January.
Due to the nature of his crimes and the community corrections orders imposed, Chen was allowed to remain in Australia with his wife, Ms Li.
At that time, his gambling habit led to him racking up debts with a loan shark, which police say may have led to his and his wife’s deaths.
Homicide Unit Chief Inspector Danny Doherty confirmed that Chen’s financial problems are “a strong line of inquiry” in the investigation.
‘They had money. “As far as we were aware there was no other crime and Sally was certainly unfortunately a victim of that,” he said.
It is believed that Mrs Li was unaware of the extent of her husband’s debts.
Police believe the murders took place at the couple’s home in Greenacre, in Sydney’s south-west, before their bodies were driven by two third parties to bushland near the airport.
“At some point after the bodies were dumped in Botany, the third parties traveled to Queensland,” Det Supt Doherty said.
‘We found a phone that eventually found its way to the relatives and which was subsequently confiscated by the police.
“That phone has been forensically examined and based on the investigations we have had so far, we believe at least two people are involved and both have traveled abroad.”
Police are liaising with both Chinese and Taiwanese authorities in the hunt for the suspected third parties involved.
The couple had not been seen since November. Ms Li’s body was discovered a week after her mother Susan reported her daughter missing.
A silver Toyota Avensis, which does not belong to either of them, was seized by homicide officers because they believe it was used to dump both bodies.
“We are looking at associations and friends of Sally and Rex who may have been able to transport a body to Botany and then also cover up the actual body at the crime scene,” Det Supt Doherty previously said.
According to their neighbors, the deceased couple recently provided home care to disabled people under the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
“In a world that often overlooks the unique needs and abilities of people with disabilities, we stand as a beacon of support and advocacy,” Ms. Li wrote on their business website.
According to her social media accounts, she previously attended Riverside Girls High School and worked in early childhood education.