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The court also imposed a sentence of seven years and 11 months on Liu’s wife Lanyue Xiao for her role in the kidnapping and manslaughter, according to the Otago Daily Times. Wang had arrived from China’s Hainan island in August 2023 to live with the family and other female followers at their home in Orewa, which Liu called the Ark. Prosecutors told the court the women lived in servitude under tight controls where Liu was referred to as Lord or Master and that Wang was frequently punished for struggling to follow strict rules on scripture study and chores due to her age. The victim attempted to escape but was caught, restrained, placed in a suitcase and denied food and water before she died later that day, the crown said.
Police traced the rice bags used to wrap Wang’s body to unusually large purchases made by the family after a fisherman discovered the remains near Gulf Harbour marina days later, RNZ reported. The five-week trial that concluded with the convictions in June heard evidence that Liu, his wife, and others then dumped the body with his children taken along as camouflage, according to testimony detailed by the New Zealand Herald. Liu had denied the charges and insisted he was not a cult leader but attracted people solely through his music and online religious discussions.
Liu previously appeared as a blindfolded singer on China’s Got Talent in 2011 and attended a military-based university in China before moving to New Zealand with Xiao in 2017 to become permanent residents, Radio New Zealand stated. He produced cosmic-themed orchestral music through a project called Universal Choir and posted video diaries on Chinese social media that drew followers to the household. One woman interviewed by police said she met the occupants through a song website and viewed them as friends, a detective told the jury during the proceedings.
Justice Mathew Downs told Liu during sentencing that he displayed callous indifference and that because of him Wang died a lonely, frightening death. “Because of you, Ms Wang died a lonely, frightening death. You display no remorse whatsoever. You should feel shame,” Downs stated, according to accounts from multiple outlets including the BBC. Liu’s lawyer requested leniency arguing remorse but the court found none while his parents Xiuyun Li and Jingui Liu who were convicted of kidnapping and misconduct involving human remains await sentencing later this year after filing additional material.
The case adds to New Zealand’s legal actions involving fringe religious communities with the Gloriavale Christian group having seen multiple convictions including for child sex abuse in recent years, the New Zealand Herald reported. Acting Detective Inspector Tim Williams oversaw the homicide investigation that used both digital evidence from social media and physical traces to link the family to Wang’s death. Liu’s convictions on additional counts of misconduct with human remains and attempting to pervert the course of justice were also confirmed by the jury after it rejected defense claims of panic and well-intentioned ignorance.
