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Whereabouts of children stumps suicide investigators

The investigation into the bizarre suicide of a Changhwa family of five continues to suggest that two bodies found in an outdoor furnace were the family's mother and father.

But little evidence or the remains of the family's three children -- all believed to be dead -- have been found, the head prosecutor in the investigation said yesterday.

"We found some debris of spectacles at the scene on the first day," said Wu Tsui-fang (吳萃芳), chief prosecutor at the Changhua District Prosecutors' Office. "On Saturday, the investigators confirmed that the debris belonged to two pairs of glasses owned by the 50-year-old Hung Jo-tan (洪若潭) and his wife, 47-year-old Yao Pao-yueh (姚寶月)."

The family's three children are believed to have committed suicide together with their parents.

The eldest son, Hung Chung-fu (洪崇釜), 24, was in graduate school. Hung Chung-jen (洪崇荏), 23 worked at the family's factory. Their only daughter, Hung Meng-yu (洪孟瑜), 19, who was attending college, also remains missing.

"However, there is still no sign of the three children," Wu said.

"A vehicle which belonged to the Hung family was seen on one neighbor's surveillance camera. But, we are still investigating to confirm who the passengers were," Wu added.

Prosecutors have also asked neighbors to doublecheck their surveillance cameras, as they may have inadvertently recorded something important between Aug. 30 and Sept. 5.

While bloodstains were found in the house, investigators aren't sure who's blood was discovered.

Hung Jo-tan and his family reportedly committed suicide because of financial problems and the political chaos in Taiwan.

Before the suicide took place, Hung withdrew NT$22 million from a local branch of the Taiwan Business Bank (台灣企銀) and promptly paid off debts to four friends before he died.

It was suspected that the suicide had something to do with his financial troubles, but records from Hung's Chung Yuan Enterprise (眾源企業) show that the company was financially secure.

According to the Changpin Industrial District Service Center, Chung Yuan Enterprise was one of the best-performing companies in the industrial area, with profits of NT$300 million every year.

"This company was doing just fine," said Chiu Ching-chi (丘慶智), the director of Changpin Industrial District Service Center. "Hung was normal and calm. He did not look like a man who was about to commit suicide."
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