Man who killed and robbed two women in 24 hours in Melbourne avoids murder trial with manslaughter plea deal
Xiaozheng Lin faces court after striking deal to plead guilty to manslaughter of Yuqi Luo and Hyun Sook Jeon in 2022
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Australian Associated Press
Mon 28 Oct 2024 00.10 EDT
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An enraged Xiaozheng Lin strangled a woman in her apartment after she asked for more money while performing sex work.
“I did bring her under my control and force,” he told police after his arrest.
But his killing spree was not over yet.
About 24 hours later, the 22-year-old killed a second sex worker in her home.
He left the two women – Yuqi Luo, 31, and Hyun Sook Jeon, 51 – for dead after attacking them in December 2022, and stealing cash and personal belongings including designer handbags.
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Lin, now 24, was due to face a murder trial over the two deaths in August.
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However, one month before trial he offered to plead guilty to two charges of manslaughter, which prosecutors accepted.
Details of the case have remained unreported since early 2023 due to a court gag order, which has since been lifted.
Lin remained silent and kept his head down as he faced the supreme court in Melbourne for a pre-sentence hearing on Monday.
He visited a brothel on Boxing Day 2022, before calling a friend to drive him to see Luo, a Chinese national who operated a sex work business from her Melbourne apartment.
Lin told his friend he planned to rob Luo, as he had recently lost money gambling with TAB.
He was dropped near her apartment after midnight on 26 December, when he showered and had sex with Luo.
Afterwards, he asked her for oral sex but she refused to do so for no additional cost.
Lin became enraged at Luo and pressed her into the bed, but she fought back and bit Lin on the hand.
He hit Luo and strangled her, later telling police he was mad at her request for a further $100 payment.
Lin left her for dead, stealing $7,000 in cash, her phone and several designer handbags.
“She was gasping for air and I thought, OK today I had a robbery and I didn’t kill her,” he later told police.
A friend of Luo’s called a locksmith and found her body, before calling emergency services.
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The 31-year-old woman’s father, Luo Bo, said her death had been a “huge blow to my heart”.
“It’s extremely difficult to accept the cruel reality my daughter has been murdered,” he said in a statement read to court.
Less than 24 hours after attacking Luo, Lin went to see another sex worker, South Korean national Jeon who lived at a Docklands apartment.
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After having sex, he fatally assaulted her and stole her laptop, bank cards, phone and building keys.
By the time Jeon’s body was found, she was too badly decomposed to identify a cause of death.
Lin told his barrister, Paul Smallwood, that Jeon was “assaulted in circumstances where she was seriously shaken”, the court was told.
Smallwood accepted his client was facing a lengthy prison stint and would be deported back to China.
The prosecutor, Kristie Churchill, said Lin’s offending was “subjectively serious”.
“He has caused the death of two vulnerable women in their own homes, a place that they were entitled to feel and be safe, within 24 hours of each other,” she told the court.
“He stole from them, he left them in positions with no regard for their safety and or dignity.”
Lin, who has been in custody since his arrest on 29 December 2022, will be sentenced at a later date.
Xiaozheng Lin faces court after striking deal to plead guilty to manslaughter of Yuqi Luo and Hyun Sook Jeon in 2022
Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates
Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast
Australian Associated Press
Mon 28 Oct 2024 00.10 EDT
Share
An enraged Xiaozheng Lin strangled a woman in her apartment after she asked for more money while performing sex work.
“I did bring her under my control and force,” he told police after his arrest.
But his killing spree was not over yet.
About 24 hours later, the 22-year-old killed a second sex worker in her home.
He left the two women – Yuqi Luo, 31, and Hyun Sook Jeon, 51 – for dead after attacking them in December 2022, and stealing cash and personal belongings including designer handbags.
Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email
Lin, now 24, was due to face a murder trial over the two deaths in August.
symbol
00:00
03:12
Read More
However, one month before trial he offered to plead guilty to two charges of manslaughter, which prosecutors accepted.
Details of the case have remained unreported since early 2023 due to a court gag order, which has since been lifted.
Lin remained silent and kept his head down as he faced the supreme court in Melbourne for a pre-sentence hearing on Monday.
He visited a brothel on Boxing Day 2022, before calling a friend to drive him to see Luo, a Chinese national who operated a sex work business from her Melbourne apartment.
Lin told his friend he planned to rob Luo, as he had recently lost money gambling with TAB.
He was dropped near her apartment after midnight on 26 December, when he showered and had sex with Luo.
Afterwards, he asked her for oral sex but she refused to do so for no additional cost.
Lin became enraged at Luo and pressed her into the bed, but she fought back and bit Lin on the hand.
He hit Luo and strangled her, later telling police he was mad at her request for a further $100 payment.
Lin left her for dead, stealing $7,000 in cash, her phone and several designer handbags.
“She was gasping for air and I thought, OK today I had a robbery and I didn’t kill her,” he later told police.
A friend of Luo’s called a locksmith and found her body, before calling emergency services.
skip past newsletter promotion
Sign up to Breaking News Australia
Free newsletter
Get the most important news as it breaks
Enter your email address
Sign up
Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
after newsletter promotion
The 31-year-old woman’s father, Luo Bo, said her death had been a “huge blow to my heart”.
“It’s extremely difficult to accept the cruel reality my daughter has been murdered,” he said in a statement read to court.
Less than 24 hours after attacking Luo, Lin went to see another sex worker, South Korean national Jeon who lived at a Docklands apartment.
Still from Seven News of a truck that veered into house near Warrnambool.
Tower Hill crash: two dead after truck smashes into house in regional Victoria
Read more
After having sex, he fatally assaulted her and stole her laptop, bank cards, phone and building keys.
By the time Jeon’s body was found, she was too badly decomposed to identify a cause of death.
Lin told his barrister, Paul Smallwood, that Jeon was “assaulted in circumstances where she was seriously shaken”, the court was told.
Smallwood accepted his client was facing a lengthy prison stint and would be deported back to China.
The prosecutor, Kristie Churchill, said Lin’s offending was “subjectively serious”.
“He has caused the death of two vulnerable women in their own homes, a place that they were entitled to feel and be safe, within 24 hours of each other,” she told the court.
“He stole from them, he left them in positions with no regard for their safety and or dignity.”
Lin, who has been in custody since his arrest on 29 December 2022, will be sentenced at a later date.
