Fan Man-yee Had Been Trying To Get Her Life Back On Track Prior To Her Abduction
Fan Man-yee was a 23-year-old resident of Hong Kong when she died. Her life has been described as difficult from the start - she was abandoned by her parents and raised in an orphanage. As a teenager with nowhere left to go, Fan was forced into sex trafficking and became addicted to drugs. In 1997, Fan married Ng Chee-yun, and the two had a child together. The marriage was reportedly volatile, with neighbors complaining of fights between the couple. Fan eventually left her husband, quit using drugs, and got a job as a hostess in a nightclub, all in an effort to provide her son with a more stable life; however, Fan's plan went horribly awry after stealing from a high-profile client.
Three Members Of A Crime Syndicate Abducted Fan After She Stole From A Client
On March 17, 1999, three members of the Triad, an organized crime syndicate in Hong Kong,abducted Fan. Leading up to her abduction, Fan had stolen $HK4,000 (roughly $500 USD) from 34-year-old Chan Man-lok, a regular at the nightclub and a member of the Triad. Fan returned the money when she was caught, but Chan demanded an additional $10,000, apparently to make up for stealing from him. Fan didn't have the money, and before she could repay Chan, he kidnapped her with the help of 27-year-old Leung Shing-cho and 21-year-old Leung Wai-lun. A 14-year-old girl named Ah Fong, who was described as Chan's “girlfriend,” also reportedly participated in the kidnapping. They took Fan to an apartment at No. 31 Granville Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. She would never leave the apartment.
Fan Was Held Captive And Tortured For A Month
Chan's initial plan was to force Fan into sex trafficking, and her three abductors sexually assaulted her numerous times after her kidnapping. However, the gang members soon moved on to torture. They severely beat Fan with metal rods and kitchen utensils, sometimes hanging her from the ceiling like a punching bag. They also poured boiling hot plastic from melted straws onto the soles of her feet so that she was unable to run or escape the apartment. Chili powder and other spices would be rubbed into Fan's wounds to maximize her suffering. In some instances, Fan was forced to consume human waste.
This torture went on continuously for approximately one month.
Ah Fong, Who Was Only 14 Years Old, Participated In The Abuse
While the three Triad members were holding Fanagainst her will and torturing her, Ah Fong not only witnessed their violent acts, she also reportedly participated in the abuse. According to Ah Fong herself, on one occasion, she watched as Chan kicked Fan approximately 50 times, and she joined in by hitting the 23-year-old woman with her hand. The teenager also admitted to participating in other acts of torture, and when authorities questioned her about her motives, she said, "I had a feeling it was for fun."
Fan Succumbed To Her Injuries On April 15, 1999
After nearly a month of torture at the Granville Road apartment, Fan Man-yee died from the extensive abuse she had endured in the preceding weeks, though the men later claimed she died of a drug overdose. According to Ah Fong, Fan had spent hours losing and regaining consciousness prior to her death. Regardless of her cause of death, the men decided to dispose of Fan's remains by dismembering her body in the apartment's bathtub. They then boiled her body parts so only the bones were left. They also reportedly boiled these body parts while cooking dinner, even using the same kitchen utensils for stirring. These remains were then thrown in the trash. In the end, police recovered only Fan's skull and a single tooth, along with some internal organs the men had placed in the apartment's refrigerator.
Ah Fong Went To The Police Claiming Fan's Ghost Was Haunting Her
Following Fan's death, Ah Fong began having nightmares about the torture she and the three Triad members had inflicted upon the young mother. Ah Fong also became convinced that Fan's restless spirit was haunting her, and she feltthe only way she could free herself from Fan's ghost was to confess to the police. In May 1999, Ah Fong went to the authorities and told them about Fan's month of suffering and resulting death. Initially, officials found the teenager's account so disturbing and unbelievable, they nearly dismissed Ah Fong's story as a bizarre fantasy; however, they decided to search the apartment, which the three men had recently vacated, and discovered a number of pieces of disturbing evidence that corroborated the teenager's allegations.
