Millionaire's Mysterious Death: Murder Charge Dropped in Taiwan Case

Unraveling the Complexities of a Young Man's Demise and the Legal Aftermath

Taipei, May 1 – Prosecutors in Taiwan have once again decided not to pursue murder charges in the highly publicized case surrounding the death of an 18-year-old high school student, who possessed an estimated NT$500 million (US$15.59 million) in property assets. The announcement follows a re-evaluation of the evidence, including surveillance footage, autopsy reports, and witness interviews, conducted by the Taichung District Prosecutors Office.

The office stated that they found insufficient evidence to support the claim of foul play in the young man's death. The family of the deceased, surnamed Lai (賴), may still apply for reconsideration of the ruling.

This decision reaffirms a prior ruling from June 2023, which also dismissed murder charges against the defendant, surnamed Hsia (夏). The case was reopened after an appeal by Lai's family.

The autopsy report revealed no traces of common poisons or alcohol in Lai's system. Furthermore, there were no indications of trauma, bleeding, or signs of struggle on his body, and Lai's DNA was found on a balcony railing.

Hsia and his father were initially accused of murdering Lai, who died after falling from the building where Hsia resided on May 4, 2023.

Hsia is the son and assistant of a land administration agent. He handled the case where Lai was gifted NT$500 million worth of property by his father in January 2023. Hsia and his father both witnessed the contract signing.

In May 2023, Hsia invited Lai to discuss his property and financial affairs following the death of Lai's father in April. According to a Taiwan High Court Taichung Branch Court news release, Hsia persuaded Lai to marry him to avoid inheritance disputes. Lai died shortly after their marriage registration.

In a final ruling in January, Hsia was sentenced to 18 months for forgery after the court deemed the marriage to Lai fraudulent.