A New Zealand court has jailed a religious sect leader over the death of an elderly follower who had travelled from China to live with his family.
Kaixiao Liu was found guilty of manslaughter and kidnapping, and sentenced to more than 10 years in prison.
The body of 70-year-old Shulai Wang had been found wrapped in rice bags near Auckland’s Gulf Harbour in March 2024, sparking a major homicide investigation which eventually led to Liu.
Liu, a musician who previously appeared in a talent show in China, had denied the charges. He also denied he is a cult leader and said he only attracted followers through his music.
During the trial the court heard that Wang had travelled from Hainan island in China to New Zealand in August 2023.
She moved in with Liu and his family at their house, which Liu had called “the Ark”, along with several other female followers.
Prosecutors said that the women acted in “servitude” to Liu and his family, and their lives were tightly controlled by Liu, where they referred to him as “Lord” or “Master”.
Wang reportedly spent her days taking care of Liu’s children, studying scripture, and planting vegetables.
The court heard that Wang had struggled to comply with the strict rules, possibly due to her old age, and was frequently disciplined.
In March 2024, Wang tried to escape but was caught and restrained. She died later that day, the court heard.
The court heard that Liu, his family, and his followers dumped Wang’s body near a marina at Gulf Harbour. Liu had taken his children along for the trip “as camouflage”.
The body was found by a fisherman days later. Police eventually traced the rice bags used to wrap Wang’s body to Liu, who had made unusually large purchases of that brand of rice.
Besides Liu, his wife, Lanyue Xiao, was sentenced to nearly eight years in jail for kidnapping and manslaughter, amongst other charges. His mother, Xiuyun Li and father, Jingui Liu, had earlier been convicted of kidnapping and misconduct to human remains and are due to be sentenced later this year.
On Tuesday’s sentencing, Liu’s lawyer asked for leniency arguing that his client feels remorse and “is not a cult leader, nor requires people to follow his cult”, according to Radio New Zealand.
