‘Strong likelihood’ husband’s body found near wife in Sydney park

A body thought to be that of Jai-Bao ‘Rex’ Chen was found 10 metres from where police discovered his wife’s body just over a week ago in a Sydney park.

Zhuojun 'Sally' Li, aged 33, is believed to have been murdered and her husband Jai-Bao 'Rex' Chen, also 33, is missing as police make a second grizzly discovery.

A body thought to be that of Jai-Bao ‘Rex’ Chen has been found 10 metres from where his murdered wife was discovered just over a week ago, with police treating the investigation as “more than likely a targeted double murder”.

Authorities believe those responsible for the killings have already fled the country.

Police searching for clues into the murder of Zhuojun ‘Sally’ Li – whose body was discovered in Sir Joseph Banks Park in Botany by a jogger on December 9 – found a second body submerged in a creek and covered in thick foliage on Tuesday afternoon.

While the body is yet to be formally identified, Homicide Squad Commander Danny Doherty said they are working “under the assumption” that it is Mr Chen’s body, and believe the couple may have been killed because they owed money to a third party.

The Australian previously revealed Mr Chen had a string of drug-related convictions, including multiple counts of supplying a prohibited drug.

Zhuojun ‘Sally’ Li.

“There is a strong likelihood, an assumption, that this is the body of Rex,” Detective Superintendent Doherty said on Tuesday afternoon, just over two hours after they made the gruesome discovery. “We still have to formally identify the body which may be difficult because of the nature of the decomposition.”

Detectives are now working on “a very strong investigative theory” that the husband and wife, both aged 33, were killed at their Greenacre address, and were driven to Sir Joseph Banks Park in a silver Toyota Avensis where their bodies were dumped, probably at the same time.

Police also think Mr Chen’s phone was used by those responsible for his and Ms Li’s deaths, after the fact. Police have now traced the phone to Queensland, and believe it was transported there by the two people responsible.

Detective Superintendent Doherty said they also believe those two people of interest have now travelled overseas, with police in communication with both Chinese and Taiwanese authorities.

“We’re looking at the possibility that at least two people were involved and (are) both offshore,” he said.

Her husband Jai-Bao ‘Rex’ Chen.

“(They) targeted both Sally and more likely Rex, and have murdered them and dumped their bodies.

“They owed money, and unfortunately, you know, again, there was no other criminality that we were aware of, and certainly Sally (has) unfortunately become a victim because of that,” Detective Superintendent Doherty said.

NSW Police have contacted Mr Chen’s family in Taiwan.

Emergency services were called to the bushland in Sir Joseph Banks Park in Botany at about 7am on December 9 after an early-morning jogger in the park was distracted by an odd smell and stumbled upon Ms Li’s body wrapped in plastic.

Earlier in the month, Ms Li was reported missing to Parramatta Police Area Command when her mother was unable to reach her.

On December 14, police made a public appeal to locate Mr Chen as detectives held grave concerns for his welfare.

About 2pm on Tuesday, Strike Force Zygon detectives conducting a search of the area Ms Li was found in Botany located a second body.