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Murder, dismemberment, money and reality TV - a Chinese mystery in Vancouver

Petti Fong in Vancouver

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Victim Gang Yuan (above) was cut into 100 pieces while his relative, Florence Zhao (below) - daughter of the accused - flaunted his wealth on reality TV.
Petti Fong

Murder by dismemberment; a Chinese millionaire with a potential love child; and a reality television star faking it to make it.

All these elements came together last month in one of the oddest and most disturbing crimes Vancouver has seen.

Gang Yuan, 41, was found cut into more than 100 pieces (for "easy disposal", according to the police) at his C$5 million (HK$31 million) mansion, in an expensive suburb of West Vancouver. Li Zhao, 54, who is married to a cousin of the victim, has been charged with second-degree murder and interference with a dead body.

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Zhao, his wife, their daughter and his mother-in-law were all living in the mansion with Yuan. They were financially supported by their relative, whose estate is estimated to be worth C$50 million.

According to Chris Johnson, the lawyer for the victim's brother, when Yuan arrived in Canada, in 2007, the Zhao family had been struggling. The millionaire, who made his money in real estate, offered them a home, put some of his assets in their names and supported them financially.

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