The son of 70-year-old Shulai Wang, whose body was discovered in plastic bags at Gulf Harbour in March 2024, told police he was instructed by a defendant to provide a specific version of his mother’s death. Four family members—Kaixiao Liu, Lanyue Xiao, Xiuyun Li, and Jingui Liu—are currently on trial at the Auckland High Court, facing charges of kidnapping and manslaughter in connection to Wang’s death.
Evidence of coached testimony
According to the Crown, recordings presented in court indicate that the victim’s son, Chunhong Wu, was coached by defendant Kaixiao Liu regarding what to tell authorities. During police interviews observed by New Zealand detectives Sha Lin and Beth Bates in Hainan, China, Wu claimed his mother died of natural causes, specifically “heart disease or failure,” and that she had traveled to New Zealand for a sea burial. However, the Crown prosecutor Henry Steele noted that there were no medical records to support a diagnosis of heart disease for Wang. Surveillance recordings from the defendants’ home in Ōrewa further revealed that Wu was directed to request the release of his mother’s body and express a desire to apologize to the family for the burial arrangements.
The Crown’s case regarding the religious group
The prosecution alleges that Wang traveled to New Zealand from China to receive religious instruction from Kaixiao Liu. Detective Lin testified that the family of the victim, including her husband and son, were members of “family 12,” one of at least 37 families identified as being devoted to Liu’s religious group. While the defendants’ legal team questioned the police on whether they understood the sensitivity of religious topics and the severity of false statements in China, Detective Bates maintained that the investigation had established the group was not politically motivated.
Potential next steps in the trial
The trial is expected to continue at the Auckland High Court as the jury evaluates the conflicting accounts of Wang’s final days. Given the testimony regarding the alleged coaching of witnesses, it is likely that the defense will continue to challenge the reliability of the evidence gathered by police during their interviews in Hainan. The court may also hear further evidence regarding the internal dynamics of the religious group and the extent to which the defendants exercised control over the victim and her family members prior to her death.
