The new tenants of a house where police suspect a double murder took place have broken their silence as the investigation into the deaths of the former residents continues.
The remains of Zhuojun ‘Sally’ Li were discovered by a jogger wrapped in plastic in bushland along Foreshore Rd near Botany in Sydney on December 9.
Police feared for her husband, Jai-Bao “Rex” Chen, for nine days until a body was found Tuesday submerged in a creek and covered in reeds.
Although the remains have not yet been officially identified, police believe they belong to Mr Chen.
A new family has since moved into the couple’s former rental property at Greenacre in Sydney’s south-west, just days after Ms Li’s mother cleared out their belongings last weekend.
It is understood the four-bedroom house was sold in October, a month before the suspected murders.
A woman who lived in the house and wished to remain anonymous admitted that the family’s move had been a nightmare because of the ongoing investigation into the deaths of Ms Li and her husband.
She told me NCA NewsWire her new home was treated as a crime scene by the media, despite her being allowed to move in by the police.
The new tenants of the house (pictured) where Zhuojun ‘Sally’ Li and her husband Jai-Bao ‘Rex’ Chen lived before their suspected murders have pleaded for privacy
The remains of Mrs Li (pictured) were discovered by a jogger on December 9, sparking fears for her husband
The body of Mr Chen (pictured) was found near Ms Li’s location on December 17, while police investigated whether the couple had been murdered by loan sharks.
Her entire family’s mental health was affected by the constant reminders of the property’s grisly past.
The woman said she sympathized with Ms Li, her husband and their loved ones, but asked that she and her family be given privacy in their new home.
Chief Inspector Danny Doherty on Tuesday aired police theory that Ms Li and Mr Chen were murdered at the Greenacre estate before their bodies were dumped in Botany.
“I don’t want to be too harsh if this is Rex, but the location where the murder would have happened would have been at the Greenacre address, that’s a strong theory that we have,” he told a news conference.
“The bodies were then driven to Foreshore Drive and placed where they are now. They were there for a while.
“That is the likelihood, and that is where the investigation is ongoing, that Greenacre was the actual location.”
Police are investigating two suspects who fled abroad after the couple’s gruesome death. Pictured is the crime scene on Tuesday after Mr Chen’s body was found
The house was forensically examined by police last week before Mr Li’s mother was given the green light to clear out the couple’s belongings last weekend.
Detectives cannot yet rule out whether a crime took place there.
“The scene has been processed, it is not currently an active crime scene,” a spokesperson for the NSW State Crime Command told NCA Newswire.
Chief Inspector Doherty has also provided insight into the police manhunt for those responsible for the couple’s deaths.
It is understood Mr Chen had racked up a significant gambling debt, fueling theories that he and his wife were being targeted by loan sharks.
“They owed money,” said Chief Inspector Doherty.
‘There was no other crime that we were aware of and certainly Sally was unfortunately a victim of that.’
It is believed that Mrs. Li was unaware of her husband’s financial problems.
A car believed to have transported their bodies has been seized and will undergo forensic examination.
Detectives are working with Taiwanese and Chinese authorities to locate the two suspects
A car (pictured) believed to have transported their bodies has been seized and will undergo forensic examination
Police are investigating two suspects who have reportedly fled abroad since the murders.
It is understood police believe they traveled to Queensland, where Mr Chen’s phone was recovered, before heading offshore.
“We are liaising with Taiwanese and Chinese authorities… It is possible that two people involved are both offshore,” Chief Inspector Doherty said.
‘At least two people are involved and have traveled abroad. Post the bodies being dumped.”