Chen Liu, aged 27, was brutally murdered in 2008 with 30 nails shot into his head, with his corpse located by kids paddling in the Georges River, Sydney Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark
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A man, 27-years-old, was savagely killed after a frightening number of 30 nails were impaled into his skull in a violent crime which has never been resolved.
In a shocking discovery, two youths, nine and 14 years old, stumbled upon Chen Liu, also identified as Anthony, while canoeing along the Georges River in southern Sydney back in 2008.
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While travelling through the mangroves on the evening of November 1, they spotted a badly decayed corpse enveloped in a blanket and immediately sought help, informing their parents.
Law enforcement revealed a gruesome X-ray of his skull to try and find the perpetrator who used a powerful nail gun to fire the nails, measuring up to 3.3 inches in length, into the victim’s head and neck.
Tragically, Chen had been deceased for 12 days when his body was found tied with electric cables and an extension lead. His remains were rolled up in a household rug with the ends fastened securely around his body utilising wires, according to the Mirror.
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“In 36 years of investigating, I’ve never seen a murder like this using a nail gun. It’s an exceptionally brutal and cruel murder, and we are requesting information from the community to help bring this investigation to a close,” said Geoff Beresford, the head of the homicide squad.
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Detectives suspect Chen was murdered and then transported to the river in his blue 2005 Range Rover Sport 4WD. However, no one has been apprehended, and the weapon is still missing.
Two weeks before the children discovered Chen’s corpse, a male friend reported him as missing. Beresford mentioned that 34 nails had entered “mainly into the head region” at very close range, discharged from an 85mm nail gun.
“It seems that attempts were made to weigh the body down, and due to the forces of nature and the tides, the body was discovered on the riverbank.”
The police examined Chen’s acquaintances but verified that there is no evidence to suggest any links to organised crime.
Chen arrived in Melbourne from China on a student visa in the early 2000s and moved to Sydney, where he briefly got married before separating, as confirmed by police.
One Reddit user commented: “I’m not particularly inclined to believe this awful killer had detailed knowledge of brain anatomy. The way the nails are positioned, it could have simply been the easiest way to angle the nail gun at his head if the killer had him restrained face down.
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“I suspect the killer was someone who may have worked in construction and acted impulsively and angrily with the first weapon available – a building tool.
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“There’s no way to determine which nails were fired first. The victim may have continued to struggle initially, and the enraged murderer attacked excessively to ensure his victim could not possibly survive. The materials the body is wrapped in could also be building or contractor materials that were available to him.
“There appears to be limited information or leads about this case. Wherever his vehicle is, its appearance could have been modified, or perhaps it’s been disposed of in a body of water.”