3.53 PM Thursday, 28 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:57 06:11 12:27 15:53 18:37 19:51
28 March 2024

Ex-husband and daughter charged over 'body in a suitcase' murder

Published
By AFP

The ex-husband and daughter of a woman whose body was found dumped in a suitcase in an Australian river have reportedly been charged with her murder.

The body of Annabelle Chen, 57, was found stuffed in the suitcase in Perth's Swan River in July, but charges were only laid against the pair, who local media identified as her family members, late Wednesday.

Ban Ah Ping, 68, and Tiffany Yiting Wan, 25, appeared in Perth Magistrates Court Thursday, where their cases were adjourned until next month.

Western Australia police alleged Chen was killed in her Perth suburb home of Mosman Park.

The suitcase containing her body was found in a suitcase floating in the river by a fisherman but was not identified until earlier this month after her daughter reported her missing, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation said.

"This lady (Chen) was a very private person," Detective Senior Sergeant Tom Mills told reporters Thursday.

"She was extremely religious and that is evident from having been inside her home."

Chen was divorced from Ban, with police saying he had homes in Singapore and Malaysia, The West Australian reported.

She then moved from Singapore to Perth in 1999 with Wan - reportedly a Melbourne resident - after the divorce, the newspaper added, citing police.