{"id":500339,"date":"2026-06-29T01:07:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T01:07:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/500339\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T01:07:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T01:07:11","slug":"auckland-cult-leader-kaixiao-liu-guilty-of-manslaughter-alongside-wife","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/500339\/","title":{"rendered":"Auckland cult leader Kaixiao Liu guilty of manslaughter alongside wife"},"content":{"rendered":"

The sect leader and his wife were arrested in June 2024 at Auckland Airport as they prepared to leave New Zealand for what was described as a short round-trip visit to China. But the investigation had begun three months earlier when a fisherman discovered the body<\/a> of Shulai Wang wrapped in rubbish bags and floating in Gulf Harbour off the Whangapar\u0101oa Peninsula.<\/p>\n

It would take months for police to identify Wang, a Chinese citizen who had overstayed her visa after arriving in New Zealand in August 2023. But the serial numbers on two rice bags filled with rocks that had been used to weigh Wang\u2019s body down eventually led police to Liu and his family.<\/p>\n

Bigamy with \u2018the Lord\u2019<\/p>\n

Voluminous diary entries found inside their home, recorded sermons found on Liu\u2019s laptop and later listening devices that police had hidden inside the house helped give authorities a fuller picture of what life was like for the defendants and for Wang.<\/p>\n

The victim was one of six women who had travelled from China to live with Liu and receive religious instruction for his unorthodox take on Christianity. Documents found inside the house revealed that at least some of the women has written unofficial \u201ccovenant of the body\u201d contracts in which they pledged to \u201center a mutual love relationship\u201d with Liu.<\/p>\n

All of those in the household, including his wife and parents, would refer to Liu by a Mandarin term that was repeatedly translated to either \u201cLord\u201d or \u201cMaster\u201d \u2013 although it was pointed out that there is a different word for \u201cGod\u201d, which wasn\u2019t used \u2013 and they were expected to follow strict house rules. Those perceived as not adequately following house rules were ordered to repent.<\/p>\n

Wang, it appeared from diary entries, seemed to be singled out the most for perceived rules infractions after she had trouble keeping up with the younger members. She was denied meals and ordered to sleep in a tent outside the home, the defendants themselves noted.<\/p>\n

\"PolicePolice released this photo of 70-year-old Gulf Harbour homicide victim Shulai Wang after a months-long, international investigation to identify her and determine the circumstances of her death. <\/p>\n

But her punishments took on a more sadistic tone, prosecutors suggested, after she tried to escape the gated compound on March 6, 2024. At that point, she was held against her will, resulting in the kidnapping charges, it was argued.<\/p>\n

In recordings recovered by police, Liu explained how Wang\u2019s mouth was sealed with tape after she wouldn\u2019t stop crying or screaming. Then, after she continued to make noise, a towel was stuffed in her mouth and she was put into a box or suitcase because it was more \u201cfixed\u201d and \u201csoundproof\u201d, he said. He described the actions to followers as \u201cjustifiable defence\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are completely forced to defend and protect God\u2019s home,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Wang was found dead on the afternoon of March 7. After a household meeting in which Liu solicited advice from everybody, including children, on how to dispose of the body without alerting police<\/a>, Wang was folded in half with tape, stuffed into the plastic bags then put in the boot of the Liu family van. The macabre package was then placed in a pram and wheeled to a footbridge over a muddy stream that drained into the ocean. The body was thrown from the bridge.<\/p>\n

\u2018Panic\u2019, not homicide<\/p>\n

Xiao, the sect leader\u2019s wife, insisted during her closing address on Tuesday that it was intended as a respectful \u201csea burial\u201d, albeit with \u201cwell-intentioned ignorance\u201d about New Zealand customs and norms regarding such matters. She also insisted that Wang had died either of natural causes or from a fall while trying to jump over a fence into a neighbour\u2019s yard.<\/p>\n

\u201cPanic after death must not be used by the Crown to facilitate a story of kidnapping and manslaughter,\u201d she said, noting that the pathologist could not determine a specific cause of death.<\/p>\n

\u201cMs Wang\u2019s body has spoken the only scientific proof from the grave. She was not physically harmed. I ask you to respect the science, reject the speculation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AllegedAlleged sect leader Kaixiao Liu (from left), his wife Lanyue Xiao, his father Jingui Liu and mother Xiuyun Li. Photos \/ Jason Dorday<\/p>\n

The victim\u2019s body did have numerous bruises<\/a> \u2013 including around her wrists, indicating that she might have been restrained, pathologist Dr Kilak Kesha had testified earlier in the trial. However, she did not have any fractured bones or cut injuries and although the corpse weighed less than 30kg, there were no signs of prolonged starvation, he said.<\/p>\n

Xiao also argued that the English translations presented to jurors had been biased towards the prosecution. Jurors had a duty, when presented with both a \u201cneutral\u201d translation and one that painted them poorly, to give the defendants the benefit of the doubt, she argued.<\/p>\n

She described her husband\u2019s recorded words as \u201cmore like an emotional outburst\u201d as he blew off steam about a troubled housemate, rather than an actual plan to carry out anything sinister.<\/p>\n

Liu gagged<\/p>\n

The defendants all chose to represent themselves at trial, although the judge encouraged them repeatedly \u2013 sometimes verging on pleading \u2013 to consult with standby lawyers who had been instructed to sit next to each of them.<\/p>\n

None of the defendants opted to testify on their own behalf, but both Liu and Xiao told the court they wanted to deliver their own closing addresses. Only Xiao was allowed to do so. The judge admonished her twice, outside the presence of jurors, for improperly using her address as an opportunity to \u201ctestify\u201d without fear of cross-examination.<\/p>\n

\u201cI stand here … with deep remorse,\u201d the defendant had told jurors after describing Wang\u2019s death as a \u201cprofound family tragedy\u201d.<\/p>\n

Referring to that statement later as an example of testifying, the judge tersely told her: \u201cMs Xiao, you know perfectly well what you are doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"JudgeJudge Mathew Downs. Photo \/ Jason Oxenham <\/p>\n

In what he acknowledged was an unusual decision, the judge ruled that Liu\u2019s normal right to argue his case directly was superseded by the right of his co-defendants to a fair trial.<\/p>\n

All four standby lawyers had spoken out in opposition to Liu addressing the jury directly, with his own standby lawyer noting that the defendant\u2019s earlier attempts at witness cross-examination had been \u201coften ill-considered, irrelevant and, ironically, against Mr Liu\u2019s own interests\u201d. The sect leader was described as having \u201csprung surprises\u201d on lawyers throughout the trial, \u201cleaving everyone else to pick up the pieces\u201d.<\/p>\n

Justice Downs, in a conversation outside the jury\u2019s presence, said that he also had \u201cgrave anxiety\u201d about what the defendant might say, and the unintended consequences that \u201cmay be born by his co-defendants\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI acknowledge the significance of the step,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I see no other way to ensure the fairness of the trial is not compromised.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AA screenshot from one of Kaixiao Liu’s music videos. Photo \/ Youtube<\/p>\n

Speaking on Liu\u2019s behalf, standby lawyer Nick Leader emphasised the requirement that jurors not be swayed by prejudice.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou may well find that the residents … led an unconventional life, to say the least,\u201d he conceded. \u201cThey\u2019re perfectly entitled to live their lives as they were.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also warned jurors not to misinterpret religious metaphors and hyperbole, describing some of Liu\u2019s statements as \u201cgrandiose sermonising … not meant to be taken literally but figuratively\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u2018Tough love\u2019<\/p>\n

While there had been talk between Liu and his father about restraining Wang with wire, there\u2019s no proof the conversation was carried out, Leader said, adding that the most jurors could possibly infer was that Wang might have been tied up with soft rope. But if that was the case, he added, it was only to keep her still in case she had suffered internal injuries during a fall.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was for her own protection \u2013 tough love, you might think,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The themes were repeated by lawyers Philip Hamlin and Shane Tait, who were given permission by Liu\u2019s parents to give closing addresses on their behalf.<\/p>\n

\"DefenceDefence lawyer Shane Tait. Photo \/ Sam Hurley<\/p>\n

\u201cI want you to look at what was in their heads, what their design was, and it wasn\u2019t a negative one,\u201d Hamlin said. \u201cWhat this household intended was Ms Wang repenting and getting better … [to] bring her back into the fold.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone was surprised, clearly, when she died.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tait, meanwhile, characterised the sect leader\u2019s father as the lowest in the pecking order, having just arrived in the household from China weeks earlier. He couldn\u2019t have really helped or encouraged any crimes when he was living in such an \u201coverbearing situation\u201d, he suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs the help deliberate or is the help part of God\u2019s brainwashing \u2013 the last sheep of the flock to arrive out here?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Cult leader\u2019s words used against him<\/p>\n

But prosecutors Henry Steele, Emma Kerr and Sam Meyerhoff argued that it was \u201ccommon sense\u201d that Wang died as a result of being put in a situation that would have been clearly \u201cvery dangerous to any reasonable mind\u201d. They tied her up and detained her against her will because defection from the group had to be met with punishment, they alleged.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was denied food, water and assistance, including medical care,\u201d Steele said during the Crown\u2019s closing address. \u201cAt this point, it seems she\u2019s held in the garage, no doubt terrified at her predicament, and she\u2019s screaming.<\/p>\n

\"CrownCrown prosecutor Henry Steele. Photo \/ File<\/p>\n

\u201cTo prevent her screaming, her mouth is taped. It\u2019s apparent she\u2019s placed in a box or suitcase and a towel at some point is stuffed in her mouth \u2013 obviously and unavoidably restricting her airflow … and limiting her ability to breathe.\u201d<\/p>\n

All nine of the other adults in the household were \u201cacting more or less as one, albeit at Mr Kaixiao Liu\u2019s direction\u201d, Steele said. That included the five other followers who were deported before police realised the extent of their involvement, he said.<\/p>\n

Steele quoted from Liu\u2019s own recorded words in which the cult leader emphasised during a house meeting that they were all in it together.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone in this house shares the same responsibility, except for the children,\u201d Liu had explained. \u201cFrom a legal point of view, this is like a drug gang. You can\u2019t say that I didn\u2019t touch the drug, but you transported it in the car. You know it\u2019s a drug. If you transport it together, then the responsibility is the same, understand?<\/p>\n

\"KaixiaoKaixiao Liu (left) and wife Lanyue Xiao appear in the North Shore District Court on July 1, 2024, charged with tampering with the body of a then-unidentified woman found in the water off Gulf Harbour. Photo \/ Dean Purcell<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, this is what we are doing together, whether or not you held her down and fixed her in place with your own hands. You were all participating together, understand? So, from a legal point of view, all the same. We bear the same responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a concise explanation of the law of parties, which the prosecution relied on to charge both generations of the Liu family with manslaughter.<\/p>\n

The speech was one of the few times in the recordings that the defendant said something the prosecutor agreed with, Steele told jurors.<\/p>\n

Craig Kapitan<\/a> is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand.<\/p>\n

Sign up to The Daily H<\/a>, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The sect leader and his wife were arrested in June 2024 at Auckland Airport as they prepared to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":500340,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[47118,24752,28358,6790,51,682,15262,51374,20211,2109,52098,1964,3368,20589,305,10053,67843,67518,197723,13489,156316,15035,3180,111,43,139,529,69,1118,56155,10538,38606,18484,1361,249951,1842,1530],"class_list":["post-500339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-70yearold","tag-ago","tag-alongside","tag-arguments","tag-auckland","tag-being","tag-corpse","tag-cult","tag-dumped","tag-family","tag-foul","tag-guest","tag-guilty","tag-harbour","tag-have","tag-house","tag-ignorance","tag-jurors","tag-kaixiao","tag-leader","tag-liu","tag-manslaughter","tag-near","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-north","tag-nz","tag-of","tag-panic","tag-play","tag-rejected","tag-shore","tag-that","tag-wellintentioned","tag-wife","tag-years"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/500339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=500339"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/500339\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/500340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=500339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=500339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=500339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}