Police reveal suspicions over ‘targeted double murder’ of Zhuojun ‘Sally’ Li and Jai-Bao ‘Rex’ Chen

Police have unveiled a potential clue behind the macabre Sydney Airport body case, believing it to be a “targeted double murder”.

The murdered couple whose bodies were found near Sydney Airport may have been targeted because they “owed money”, police have said.

Investigators believe husband and wife Jai-Bao ‘Rex’ Chen and Zhuojun ‘Sally’ Li were murdered by killers who have now fled overseas.

The discovery of Ms Li’s body was found wrapped in plastic by a horrified jogger on December 9.

Another body, believed to be her husband, was found on Tuesday.

Homicide Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty told press on Tuesday that the body was found submerged in a creek.

“(It was) covered with very thick bush foliage, bulrush reeds, which makes it very difficult to see and has been there for some time,’ he said.

“There is a strong likelihood and assumption that this is the body of Rex.”

Ms Li, 33, was reported missing earlier this month after her mother was unable to reach her.

Her body was discovered in bushland in Sir Joseph Banks Park in Botany Bay.

After the grim discovery, police launched a public appeal to locate Mr Chen, also aged 33, over “grave concerns” for his welfare.

Detective Superintendent Doherty spoke of potential “financial debts” that may have motivated the double murder.

“One of the motives could possibly be financial debts. They owed money,” he said.

“There was no other criminality that we’re aware of. Unfortunately Sally has become a victim because of that.

“We are treating it more likely as a targeted double murder.

“As I said previously, we thought there was a third party involved – a very strong investigative theory – and that has now been confirmed.

“At some stage after the bodies had been dumped in Botany, (the third parties) travelled up to Queensland.

“We’ve located a phone that ultimately had found its way back to the next of kin, which then police seized.

“That phone has been forensically examined and from the inquiries we’ve had so far we believe there’s at least two people involved and both have travelled overseas.”

Police believe Jai-Bao ‘Rex’ Chen and Zhuojun ‘Sally’ Li were murdered. Police are continuing to appeal for information about a silver Toyota Avensis.

He said the exact cause of death had yet to be determined and the decomposition of the bodies made it difficult to reach a conclusion.

Police believe the murders took place at the couple’s Greenacre home before their bodies were driven by the killers to bushland near the airport.

Police spoke with Mr Chen’s family in Taiwan, with the help of a Mandarin interpreter, after the discovery of Ms Li’s body.

Officers are continuing to appeal for anyone with information to come forward, including people who know about a silver Toyota Avensis that stopped on the northern side of Foreshore Road in Botany between 4am and 5am on November 30.

Investigations under Strike Force Zygon continue, a NSW Police spokesman said.

In an update last week, Superintendent Doherty said the car in question was being forensically examined after it was seized.

“We believe that vehicle was used to convey the body of Sally to Foreshore Drive and to conceal her body in the bushes there after they disposed of her in the bushland that vehicle,” Superintendent Doherty said.

He said Ms Li’s body would have been disposed of between 4am and 5am on November 30.

“That would fit with the, unfortunately, with the decomposition and the start of the body,” he said.

Police pictured at a crime scene on Foreshore Road in Botany where Ms Li’s body was found. Picture: Damian Shaw

Superintendent Doherty revealed Ms Li’s body was so decomposed by the time she was found officers were unable to use fingerprints to identify her.

“We had to wait for DNA … we visit the family, and the family give DNA, and there was a match,” he said.

“So we worked with a missing person investigation, which was then been conducted by Bankstown because they lived in Greenacre, and from that, unfortunately, had to get the awful news to Sally’s mum that it was a positive match.”

Although the couple had no links to organised crime, Mr Chen had a string of drug related convictions.

- with Duncan Evans and Blake Antrobus