‘How many years?’ Murderer’s chilling Google searches following the death of a Melbourne mum

A Melbourne man who was found guilty of murdering a woman he met on an online dating site, made some chilling searches after disposing her body.

An envious killer who dumped a mum’s body in a wheelie bin conducted a harrowing Google search about how she would be “disposed of” after her death.

Melbourne man Joon Seong Tan was found guilty by a Victorian Supreme Court jury on Wednesday for murdering his girlfriend Ju “Kelly” Zhang, 33, in February 2021.

Tan had met Ms Zhang on an online dating site about a month before her death, becoming “very much infatuated” – but the mother-of-one did not reciprocate those feelings.

She reportedly soured on the relationship and was seeing another man, with Tan reportedly seeing his car parked in the driveway of her home.

Ju “Kelly” Zhang was murdered in February 2021. Picture: Supplied

Joon Seong Tan was found guilty of murdering Ms Zhang. Picture: Supplied

The jury was told Ms Zhang was believed to have been stabbed to death by Tan in her Epping home between 5pm and 6pm after the pair shared dinner with Ms Zhang’s eight-year-old son.

Tan allegedly told a friend he moved the mum to a laundry cupboard before dumping her body in a bin.

He then drove 15km to Heidelberg West, where he left the bin on a street alongside a number of others awaiting collection.

Tan returned to the site after dropping Ms Zhang’s son at school, where he watched the garbage truck dispose of Ms Zhang’s body from the bin before going to the mum’s home.

In the following days, Tan made a couple of disturbing Google searches on his phone, including “how many years for killing a person in Australia” and “how is stinky garbage disposed of in Australia”, according to The Guardian.

He was arrested in connection to her disappearance later the same month at Melbourne airport.

Tan told a friend Ms Zhang’s death was an accident. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Police found Ms Zhang’s body while conducting a three-day search of a Wollert landfill site four months after her death, where at least one stab wound to her heart was found.

Jurors were told Tan believed the mother was cheating on him and threatened to “kill her, hug her and die together” in a conversation with a friend.

Tan also allegedly told a friend, Ms Zhang’s death was accidental.

“This is plainly a case of murder and the evidence proves it,” prosecutor Jeremy McWilliams told the jury, according to the Daily Mail.

Deliberations for the month-long trial took less than a day, with the jury unanimously finding Tan guilty of murder.

It’s understood he showed little emotion when the verdict was passed down with the assistance of a translator.

After the verdict was read, Justice Amanda Fox thanked the jury for their service.

Tan will now spend time behind bars and is expected to return before the Supreme Court next week for a plea hearing.

– with NCA Newswire