The new tenants of a house that police suspect may have been the scene of a double homicide have broken their silence as the investigation into the deaths of the former occupants continues.
Zhuojun ‘Sally’ Li’s remains were discovered by a jogger wrapped in plastic in bushland along Foreshore Rd at Botany in Sydney on December 9.
Police seriously feared for her husband, Jai-Bao ‘Rex’ Chen, for nine days until a body was found submerged in a stream and covered in reeds on Tuesday.
While the remains have not been officially identified, police believe they belong to Mr. Chen.
A new family has since moved into the couple’s former rental property in Greenacre, in Sydney’s southwest, just days after Ms Li’s mother emptied her possessions last weekend.
The four-bedroom house is understood to have been sold in October, a month before the alleged murders.
A woman living in the house, who wished to remain anonymous, admitted that the family’s move had been a nightmare due to the ongoing investigation into the deaths of Ms Li and her husband.
she said NCA News The media treated his new home as a crime scene, even though the police had given him the go-ahead to move.
The new tenants of the house (pictured) where Zhuojun ‘Sally’ Li and her husband Jai-Bao ‘Rex’ Chen lived before their alleged murders have asked for privacy.
Ms Li’s remains (pictured) were discovered by a jogger on December 9, raising fears for her husband.
Mr Chen’s body (pictured) was found near the location of Ms Li’s on December 17 and police are investigating whether the couple were murdered by loan sharks.
The mental health of his entire family had been affected by constant reminders of the property’s gruesome past.
The woman said she was sorry for Ms. Li, her husband and her loved ones, but asked that she and her family have privacy in their new home.
Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty on Tuesday relayed the police theory that Ms Li and Mr Chen were murdered inside the Greenacre property before their bodies were dumped at Botany.
“I don’t want to jump the gun if it’s Rex, but the location where the murder would have occurred would have been at the Greenacre address, that’s a strong theory we have,” he told a news conference.
‘The bodies were then taken to Foreshore Drive and placed where they are now. They were there for some time.
“That’s the likelihood, and that’s where the investigation is going, that Greenacre was the actual location.”
Police are investigating two suspects who fled abroad following 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 possessions last weekend.
Detectives have not yet ruled out whether any crime occurred there.
“The scene has been processed, it is not a currently active crime scene,” a NSW State Crime Command spokesperson told NCA Newswire.
Superintendent Doherty has also shared information about the police search for those responsible for the couple’s deaths.
It is understood Chen had racked up a significant gambling debt, fueling theories that he and his wife were targeted by loan sharks.
“They owed money,” Superintendent Doherty said.
“There was no other crime that we were aware of and certainly Sally unfortunately became a victim because of that.”
It is believed that Mrs Li was unaware of her husband’s financial problems.
A car believed to have been transporting the bodies was 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 been transporting their bodies, has been seized and will undergo forensic examination.
Police are investigating two suspects who allegedly fled abroad since the murders.
It is understood police believe they traveled to Queensland, where Mr Chen’s phone was recovered, before heading overseas.
“We are in contact with authorities in Taiwan and China… it is possible that two people involved may be overseas,” Supt Doherty said.
‘At least two people are involved and have traveled abroad. Post the bodies being dumped.