Inquest: Luxing `Kevin’ Li’s disappearance remains a mystery
A coronial inquest has failed to unearth why Luxing `Kevin’ Li disappeared from the Skillion two years ago and has never been seen since.
Outwardly Luxing `Kevin’ Li had the world at his feet.
He was young, fit, had a meaningful job with Guide Dogs NSW/ACT and an apartment in the affluent Sydney suburb of Killara which he shared with his beautiful wife.
So how was it that he disappeared without a trace from The Skillion on October 18, 2017 and has never been seen since?
That question was the central tenent of a coronial inquest which failed to shed any light on the 28-year-old’s mysterious disappearance other than, on the balance of probabilities, he is dead.
Deputy State Coroner Elizabeth Ryan handed down her findings on Wednesday where she offered Mr Li’s family the court’s sympathy.
“For the sake of Mr Li’s wife, mother and stepfather I regret that this inquest has not been able to answer many of their questions about what happened to him,” she said.
The inquest heard Mr Li never suffered any mental health issues, was still playing basketball and did not use illegal drugs or drank much alcohol.
The day before he went missing he and his wife took the day off work and treated themselves to a lunch date before going home to watch television.
In addition to working as an assistant accountant for the Guide Dogs, a job he liked because of his love of animals, Mr Li was also studying accounting at university.
The following day he returned to work when he learned he had failed one of his units for the third time.
He rang his wife Kerry Zhou to let her know and she “expressed her annoyance at his failing the subject and jeopardising their planned trip to Austria in December”.
They then discussed future plans for his study.
Shortly after 7pm Ms Zhou asked him by text when he was coming home, to which he replied “now” and he was seen by colleagues to leave.
However by 9pm Mr Li had not returned home and his wife was becoming worried.
She had noticed earlier that according to his phone he was at Macquarie University Library but now it showed he was at Ourimbah.
This was confirmed weeks later by the arrival of a fine notifying that his car had been detected speeding on the M1 at Ourimbah at 8.57pm.
Ms Zhou rang police and continued to text her husband with no reply.
About 9.45pm she got a text back which read: “Sorry babe, sorry about letting you down. This is the last time”.
The phone showed he was at the southern end of The Haven at Terrigal.
Police went to the area and began searching around the rocks at the base of the Skillion.
“The last information as to the location of Mr Li’s phone came soon after, with signals showing it was located in the area of the Skillion, about 50 metres out to water,” the Coroner said.
Police located his car at 10.53pm and found a note on the dash with the heading “List of things to do this year” which contained no references to harming himself but did include the item “pass exams”.
“No trace of Mr Li or his belongings has ever been found,” the Coroner said.
The inquest heard Mr Li could have suffered a “sudden and unexpected event” such as a heart attack or a fall which could have incapacitated him and his body washed into the water on the high tide.
The inquest heard while here was some evidence his death was the result of a deliberate act there was also no history of mental illness or attempts to harm himself.
The inquest also heard since his death, CCTV cameras have been installed at the top and bottom of the Skillion, which are monitored at Gosford Police Station and the height of the fence at the top has been increased.
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