HK man pleads not guilty to murdering ex-girlfriend, 23, Gucci shoeprints at scene matched his

Alex Lo Chun Ming was charged with the murder of his then-23-year-old ex-girlfriend. Her body was found in a bathtub at a five-star hotel in Hong Kong in 2022. He has pleaded not guilty to murder. Charged The victim, also known as Aqua Chow, was found dead at The Ritz-Carlton hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui between Jun. 29, 2022, and Jun. 30, 2022. His trial took place on Nov. 2 at Hong Kong’s High Court, as reported by HK01. Prosecution argued that he had planned the murder, and it was not something done out of impulse, reported the South China Morning Post (SCMP). Rocky relationship The court heard that Lo and Chow started dating in February 2021, and moved in together two months later. However, they had a rocky relationship and broke up in February 2022. Chow soon started dating another man in June 2022. On Jun. 28, 2022, Lo checked into The Ritz Carlton and paid HK$2,000 (S$330) for a room. This was the room where Chow was eventually found, the prosecutors said. He extended his stay by another day the next morning and purchased a knife from a kitchenware shop. The prosecution said Lo also visited luxury stores like Delvaux and Hermès. Chow met up with a friend on Jun. 29, who noticed her messaging someone called Alex Lo on Telegram. There were pictures of a brown Delvaux handbag and Hermès scarves in the chat. Chow told her friend that he wanted to give her a handbag, and that she planned to ask him for a scarf as well. At about 4:34pm on the same day, Lo allegedly picked Chow up from her home and brought her to the hotel. Did not board flight Chow was scheduled to fly to the U.S. on Jun. 29 to attend a yoga course. She was supposed to have dinner with her boyfriend before he took her to the airport. He lost contact with her around 5pm that day, but headed to the airport, hoping to find her there. However, Chow never turned up. Chow’s mother reported her missing to the police on Jun. 30, 2022. Police searched Lo’s home that day, and he said he did not know where Chow was, the prosecution said. That night, Lo went to the Police Station with his lawyer. The lawyer handed the police a Ritz-Carlton cardholder and two key cards. When officers entered the hotel room, they found bloodstains on the carpet outside the bathroom, on the pillows and bedding, and inside two wardrobes, the prosecution said. Chow was found lying facedown in the half-filled bathtub, clothed, with visible cuts on her left arm and back. Her body was already stiff. A bloody towel was found in the bathtub as well, covering some parts of her body. Officers found a Victorinox knife in the bathtub, about 22cm in length. Prosecutors alleged that this knife was the murder weapon. More than 40 knife wounds A forensic report presented in court showed that Chow suffered more than 40 knife wounds to her face, neck, torso and limbs. Forensic experts believe that Chow was attacked from behind. She then fell to the ground and curled into a fetal position, as reported by HK01. There is no evidence of her drowning. Her cause of death was severe blood loss from her wounds. According to the prosecution, the shoeprints at the scene matched a pair of Gucci shoes that belonged to Lo. The trial is still ongoing.