The husband of a couple whose bodies were dumped in a bushland creek near Sydney Airport racked up a huge gambling debt before the couple was murdered.
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 Tuesday afternoon.
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.
Homicide detectives discovered that Mr. Chen owed a significant amount of money to a loan shark, the Daily Telegraph reported.
Sources told the newspaper that Chen had a “chronic” gambling habit.
Police are investigating whether a loan shark was responsible for the couple’s death.
Homicide Unit Detective Chief Inspector Danny Doherty confirmed Mr Chen’s financial problems were “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.
The decomposed body of Zhuojun ‘Sally’ Li (pictured) was discovered by a jogger in bushland on December 9
NSW Police have discovered a significant amount of debt allegedly accrued by Mr Chen (pictured) before he was murdered
Mrs Li is said to have been unaware of the extent of her husband’s debts.
A NSW Police spokeswoman declined to comment further on the latest revelations when contacted by Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday evening.
A neighbor of the couple told the publication that Mr. Chen’s family flew from Taiwan this weekend to repatriate him.
Det Supt Doherty told a news conference on Tuesday afternoon that police believed the body discovered earlier in the day was that of Mr Chen.
“The body is submerged in a creek in water, covered with very thick brush foliage and cattail reeds, making it very difficult to see, and it has been there for some time,” he told reporters.
“There is a strong probability and assumption that this is Rex’s body.”
He added: ‘We consider it more likely to be a targeted double murder.
“As I said before, we thought there was a third party involved – a very strong investigative theory – and that has now been confirmed.”
It is believed Ms Li (pictured) was unaware of the extent of Mr Chen’s debts
Police believed the killings 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 added.
‘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 from the investigations we have had so far, we believe that at least two people are involved and that they have both traveled abroad.”
Police are liaising with both Chinese and Taiwanese authorities in the hunt for the suspected third parties involved.
The second body, which has yet to be formally identified, was discovered on Tuesday during a search for Ms Li’s partner Jai-Bao ‘Rex’ Chen (photo: police at the scene)
Pictured: Forensic officers examine the site where the bodies of a couple were uncovered
He also tried to dispel criticism that it took police a week to find the second body.
“It’s probably only within ten metres, maybe even closer, but it’s completely covered,” Supt Doherty said.
“It is submerged in very thick cattail reeds and other foliage, making it almost impossible to see.”
The grim discovery came three days after police launched a public appeal for information on Chen’s whereabouts amid serious concerns for his welfare.
Neither Ms. Li nor Mr. Chen had been seen since November. Ms Li’s body was discovered a week after her mother Susan reported her daughter missing.
Police are seen searching Botany Bay Park where Ms Li’s body was found last Monday
A silver Toyota Avensis, which does not belong to either of them, has been 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.
Det Supt Doherty said Mr Chen was last seen alive in November and there was a “strong investigative theory” that a third party could be involved.
“Not only in the suspected murder of Sally, but we also need to look at a third party involved in Rex’s disappearance,” he said.
A silver Toyota Avensis, which does not belong to either of them, was seized by homicide officers because they believe it was used to transport Ms Li’s body.
Det Supt Doherty said Ms Li and Mr Chen were a ‘normal couple’, with no known links to organized crime.
Mr. Chen had a series of drug-related convictions.
He was sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order in 2022 for supplying a prohibited drug.
The order expired in January this year.
There were additional conditions attached, namely that he must be supervised by a community corrections officer and that he must continue treatment for his “alcohol and drug problems.”
According to their neighbors, the pair recently provided home care to disabled people under the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
“In a world that often ignores the unique needs and abilities of individuals 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.
Ms. Li’s mother was busy cleaning up her daughter’s marital home last weekend.
On Sunday she was seen placing the couple’s belongings on the front lawn of their rental home in Sydney’s south-west.
The grief-stricken mother was faced with the task of clearing the house after police searched the property for possible clues on Friday.
Every inch was inspected and dusted for fingerprints, including the front gate, with police also patrolling the house on Sunday.