More than three years after the killing of Hong Kong model and socialite Abby Choi sent shockwaves through the city, her former husband and two members of his family have gone on trial in connection with her death.

Alex Kwong, his older brother Anthony Kwong and their father, Kwong Kau, appeared in Hong Kong’s High Court on September 21, 2026, facing a joint murder charge as well as an additional charge of preventing the lawful burial of a body.

All three defendants have denied wrongdoing and are entitled to the presumption of innocence unless prosecutors prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.

The trial is expected to last approximately 45 days and has already drawn intense public attention, with dozens of people gathering outside the courthouse and arrangements made for observers to follow proceedings through a live broadcast outside the courtroom.

A Case That Shocked Hong Kong

Choi was 28 when she disappeared in February 2023.

She was a mother of four, a prominent figure in Hong Kong’s social scene and increasingly visible in the international fashion world.

Only days before her death, she had been posting about fashion events in Europe, including appearances connected with Paris Fashion Week.

Her carefully documented public life made what happened next especially shocking.

Choi was reported missing on February 21, 2023.

Three days later, investigators discovered parts of her body inside a rented property in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district.

Authorities said some remains were found inside a refrigerator, while other remains were recovered from a cooking pot.

Investigators also seized equipment from the property, including an electric saw and a meat slicer.

The discovery triggered one of the most closely followed homicide investigations in Hong Kong in recent years.

Former Husband and In-Laws Face Murder Charge

The three men now standing trial are all members of Choi’s former husband’s family.

Alex Kwong, now 31, was previously married to Choi and shared two children with her.

His brother Anthony Kwong, 35, and their father Kwong Kau, 68, are also accused of participating in the killing.

Prosecutors have charged all three with murder and preventing the lawful burial of Choi’s body.

If convicted of murder, they could receive life sentences.

During their first appearance at trial, all three defendants wore face masks. Kwong Kau appeared in a white T-shirt, while his two sons wore suits.

The prosecution is expected to present its full opening case after preliminary matters and jury procedures are completed.

Financial Dispute Expected to Be an Important Part of the Case

Investigators have previously said Choi had been involved in a financial dispute with members of her former husband’s family before her death.

That dispute is expected to form an important part of the prosecution’s theory of motive.

One focus of the investigation has been a luxury property that Choi had reportedly purchased and placed under her former father-in-law’s name.

Authorities previously indicated that disagreements emerged over plans involving the property.

However, the existence of a financial dispute alone does not establish criminal responsibility, and prosecutors will have to show how that conflict allegedly connects to the killing.

The defense will also have the opportunity to challenge the prosecution’s interpretation of the financial evidence and the events leading up to Choi’s disappearance.

Alex Kwong Was Arrested Near a Ferry Pier

Following the discovery of Choi’s remains, investigators rapidly arrested multiple members of her former husband’s family.

Alex Kwong was taken into custody near a ferry pier after authorities alleged that he was attempting to leave Hong Kong by speedboat.

His arrest became one of the most widely discussed developments in the early stages of the investigation.

Police also detained his father and brother shortly after Choi’s remains were discovered.

The investigation later expanded to include searches of other locations, including a landfill where officers looked for additional evidence and possible remains.

Authorities have never recovered every part of Choi’s body.

That fact added another painful layer to a case that had already horrified the public.

Police Said the Tai Po Property Had Been Prepared

In the days following the discovery, investigators described the Tai Po residence as a key crime scene.

The house had allegedly been rented shortly before Choi disappeared.

Police said they discovered equipment and materials inside that they believed were connected to the disposal of her remains.

The property itself became central to the prosecution’s reconstruction of what allegedly happened after Choi went missing.

At trial, jurors are expected to hear extensive testimony about forensic evidence, the movements of the defendants, the use of the property and the sequence of events surrounding Choi’s final hours.

Those details will be critical because the prosecution must establish not only that Choi was killed, but also who was legally responsible for her death.

Abby Choi Had Remained Connected to Her Former Family

Choi’s relationship with her former husband did not completely end after their divorce.

The former couple shared two children, which meant Choi continued to have ties with Alex Kwong’s family.

She later remarried and had two additional children with her second husband.

Friends and acquaintances described her as a devoted mother who maintained relationships across both sides of her family.

Those continuing ties have been repeatedly examined as investigators attempted to understand why she was allegedly targeted.

Authorities have previously said Choi was last seen shortly before she was expected to collect one of her children.

Her disappearance quickly raised alarm when she failed to appear as expected.

Her Fashion Career Was Growing Before Her Death

Before the case became internationally known, Choi had been building a name for herself in fashion and luxury circles.

She regularly attended major fashion events and documented her appearances on social media.

Her Instagram account featured designer clothing, international travel and photographs from runway shows and fashion gatherings.

Shortly before her disappearance, she attended events associated with major European fashion houses.

She had also appeared on a digital magazine cover and had begun attracting wider attention outside Hong Kong.

That public image — glamorous, polished and increasingly international — stood in stark contrast to the brutal circumstances investigators later described.

Choi’s death became headline news far beyond Hong Kong, in part because of her visibility in the fashion world and in part because of the unusually disturbing nature of the case.

Public Interest Remains Intense

The opening of the trial has again drawn significant attention.

Dozens of people waited outside the courthouse before proceedings began.

Authorities arranged an external live broadcast to accommodate members of the public who could not enter the courtroom.

The intense interest reflects how deeply the case affected Hong Kong, where violent crime is comparatively uncommon.

When details first emerged in 2023, the case dominated public conversation for days.

More than three years later, many of the same questions are finally moving into a courtroom where evidence can be formally tested.

A Long Trial Ahead

The trial is expected to continue for roughly 45 days.

Jurors are likely to hear testimony about forensic evidence, financial records, property arrangements, communications, witness statements and the movements of the defendants before and after Choi disappeared.

The prosecution will seek to prove that the three men participated in a coordinated killing and subsequent effort to prevent Choi’s lawful burial.

The defense will have the opportunity to challenge that case and question whether the evidence establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Because the trial has only just begun, many of the prosecution’s most important allegations have not yet been fully presented or tested before the jury.

For that reason, the defendants remain presumed innocent at this stage.

More Than Three Years Later, a Family Waits for a Verdict

For Choi’s relatives, the courtroom proceedings represent the latest stage of a tragedy that began more than three years ago.

She left behind four children.

She was only 28.

And at the time of her death, she appeared to be entering one of the most visible periods of her professional life.

The discovery of her remains transformed her from a rising fashion figure into the center of one of Hong Kong’s most disturbing criminal investigations.

Now, after years of arrests, hearings and evidence gathering, the case has finally reached a jury.

The coming weeks are expected to provide the most detailed public account yet of what prosecutors believe happened to Abby Choi — and whether they can prove that her former husband and his family were responsible.