New Taipei City prosecutors on Wednesday charged a woman with allegedly killing her sister-in-law and burying her body in concrete inside their apartment.
Chang Fang-hsin (張芳馨), 38, allegedly used a dumbbell to beat her sister-in-law Yeh Hsiu-feng (葉秀鳳), 37, to death in March this year.
Due to the brutal nature of the murder and because Chang did not show remorse for her crime, the prosecutors said they would request that she receive a life sentence.
Chang and Yeh’s families were living in the same residence in the city’s Sinjhuang District (新莊), but the women had personal differences, and had fought over family property and an inheritance, family members said.
Chang became angry after overhearing a telephone conversation during which Yeh complained about Chang to her relatives, they said.
The two had an argument on March 13, when their husbands were away, investigators said.
They began to fight, and Chang overpowered Yeh, forcing her to the ground, they added.
She allegedly wrapped Yeh’s head in adhesive tape in an attempt to suffocate her, the investigation found.
Yeh continued to struggle and Chang allegedly used a dumbbell to hit her in the head more than 10 times, investigators said.
Chang then dragged her to the bathroom and allegedly drowned her in a wash basin, they added.
Chang was quoted by police as saying she did not know how to dispose of the body, so she dragged it to Yeh’s room and buried it in concrete.
Investigators found that Chang went out several times during the next two days to buy 36 bags of concrete for NT$2,500.
The concrete tomb remained in the bedroom without being discovered for four days, until Yeh’s employer called her family to ask about her.
Members of the two families were shocked to discover the concrete tomb when police came to the house to look for Yeh, investigators said.
Police had to call in specialists to break open the concrete, they added.
Under questioning, Chang allegedly admitted to copying a movie, in which a murder victim was encased in concrete.
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