HONG KONG, China — Three men accused of murdering socialite Abby Choi went on trial on Monday, September 21, 2026.
The defendants are Alex Kwong, Choi’s former husband; his brother, Anthony Kwong; and their father, Kwong Kau, a former police officer.
All three also face a charge of preventing the lawful burial of her body. A jury will determine the charges, and a murder conviction carries a mandatory life sentence in Hong Kong.
Prosecutors previously told a judge that the volume of DNA analysis required by forensic scientists had delayed the case, according to CNN’s report.
The proceedings are expected to take at least 45 days.
Before the hearings began, CNN reported that prosecutors were expected to make their opening statements later in the week.
The Police Investigation
Choi disappeared on February 21, 2023, police said. Three days later, officers discovered human remains believed to be hers at a village house in Tai Po, a district of Hong Kong.
Clothing and cutting equipment, including an electric saw and a meat slicer, were recovered from the property. Officers also searched a landfill for evidence.
Police said the three defendants were arrested shortly after the remains were found.
Choi had four children, two of them from her marriage to her former husband.
Fashion and Animal Welfare Work
Choi’s public appearances before her death included Paris Fashion Week and Elie Saab’s Spring Summer 2023 Haute Couture show. She also appeared on the digital cover of L’Officiel Monaco.
Friends previously told CNN that she had helped establish a charity with other volunteers to rescue injured cats and dogs.
Hundreds of relatives, friends, and local celebrities attended her funeral in 2023, where she was remembered as a “great and kind-hearted” friend.
