Gulf Harbour body trial: Documents reveal the defendants' 'unconventional' lives

Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

The content of numerous documents found at a house in the centre of a police investigation into the death of Chinese woman Shulai Wang was heard in court.

It contained revealing details of the "unconventional" lives of residents of the house, including residing women pledging their souls and bodies to a defendant, and what happened in the days before and after Wang's death.

Black rubbish bags containing a human body were found at the Gulf Harbour Marina in March 2024, and the police later confirmed that it was 70-year-old Wang from China's Hainan province.

Four family members - Kaixiao Liu, his wife Lanyue Xiao and his mother Xiuyun Li and father Jingui Liu - have each denied the manslaughter and kidnapping of Wang and were facing trial at the Auckland High Court.

The defendants chose to represent themselves, with the assistance of standby lawyers.

The Crown's case was that Wang came to seek religious instructions from Liu but was locked up in a tent, denied food and medical help after failing to observe rules at Liu's house, where she stayed.

The Crown also claimed that she might have been put into a suitcase after an unsuccessful escape and later died.

A large number of notes, handwritten in Chinese, were found at the defendants' house in Orewa, north Auckland, which was translated into English by experienced translator Cyril Young.

Judge Mathew Downs reminded the jury that the notes will be talking about the family's religious beliefs and living arrangements which can be described as "unconventional".

He urged the jury to be careful not to allow any emotional reaction to affect their decision-making.

"The defendants are not on trial for their religious beliefs or living arrangements; they are on trial for specific alleged offences," Judge Downs said.

'Unconventional' life

The notes included "Letter of Conversion", "Covenant", "Convenant of the soul" and "Convenant of the Body".

The Crown said earlier that Liu was the head of a religious group, where he was referred to as "Lord", "Master" or "Teacher", and Xiao was referred to as "Queen".

Apart from Liu's family, the police also found five other women living in the same house, whose names were suppressed by Judge Downs.

The women were described as "very thin" and dirty, who were later deported after overstaying their visas.

One of these women started a "Letter of Conversion" addressing "dear ancestors of the tribe of Judah, descendants of David".

"I'm grateful to have the opportunity to be converted to the secret LIU family of the tribe of Judah, descendants of David," the letter said.

In another note titled "Covenant of the Body", the same woman wrote "I ... am willing to enter a mutual love relationship with Mr. KL, build a family and have children with him".

"I will also love the other few women and be loved by them," the note said. "I am doing these out of my own free will."

Same notes titled "Covenant of the Body" were also written by two other women found at the house.

In a notebook where fingerprint of Wang was found, it said "I am grateful to the Lord and the messengers for their unfailing love for La" - the Crown identified "La" as reference to Wang.

"They have always had mercy on La's arrogance and patiently helped La step by step to stay away from evil and temptation. Leading La to the next station.

"La is very happy. These past few nights, La has felt happy from the heart."

In another note, "La" wrote "thank you Master for leading the family, young and old to work together to be tested and tempered ... Striving hard to get lives ready to go to the next stop/station".

Earlier on Thursday, the court also heard a note talking about the establishment of a "kingdom" and having "many servants".

Before and after Wang's death

Wang's given name was mentioned multiple times in some notes documenting the day to day lives of the household, to including pick and wash vegetables, turn over soil, watering, and childcare.

Some of the notes mentioned that Wang was not kneeling properly or eating too slowly, and someone's face being struck.

In a note with Liu's father's given name that dated 3 March 2024, it said "Shulai's swollen face couldn't have been faked".

"Shulai did not kneel down upright, as requested, yesterday and this morning. Still did not kneel upright after being reminded by family members," the note said.

It went on to say that she could pretend and be unwilling to accept help, or due to physical strength and illness.

There were also notes talking about Wang being asked to squat, with the help of other women.

Crown identified "Ya", an author of some of the files, as Li, who kept daily notes about behaviour of the women in the house.

The notes appeared to be recording the good or bad behaviours of women staying at the house and add or deduct points to them accordingly.

There was a note mentioning a tent and a pad lock.

Lanyue Xiao and her husband Kaixiao Liu.

Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

"If Shulai was reminded for the first time and did not listen, and Shulai was reminded for the second time and didn't listen, it will directly affect the following meal," crown prosecutor Henry Steele read out from a note in court.

"We'll be back in the home sooner if you follow the rule sooner. It is uncomfortable in the tent. There will be heavy rain in the next few days.

"If you follow the rules, several days in a row, you will receive treatment immediately. Definitely can't come in under the situation."

In a note dated 6 March, it said that one of the women "called out urgently" as Wang had run to the neighbour's yard, and a few other people at the house were also notified, including "the Master".

"With the cooperation of the family, Sulai [Shulai] was quickly carried from the neighbour's yard into the south yard," it said. "It was so fast that no passers-by seen."

"Sulai [Shulai] listened to the evil thoughts in her own mind and led herself to destruction step by step."

Some women were awarded points for bringing Wang back and put her under control, a note showed.

Bits and pieces of information on the same date on another note also mentioned that someone being placed on the little black bed to make them repent.

And a note said: "as long as you scream again, you will be tied even tighter, If you scream at night again, you will be put into the suitcase".

On the afternoon of March, there was "no movement", the same note said.

Another note dated 8 March talked about rubbish bags, "get rid of the gas/air" and put something to cover it in the boot.

"Remove the clothes ... just leave a layer of under clothes," the note said.

"Need to use two bags, in case one is not enough, 2 bags, 3 bags are fine..."

On the same date, Wang's name can no longer be seen in the same type of note that record the women's daily performances, Steele pointed out.

Also on the same date, some women were awarded points for doing a good job cleaning the garage. A note said that two women cleaned the garage for three hours.

Police earlier identified the garage as an area of interest and was tested for blood, although four small areas had a positive reaction, further testing for blood was inconclusive.

A note reminded people to just "smile foolishly" and not say anything and avoid driving the big white van.

Steele also pointed out notes mentioning the family seeing news of the discovery of the rubbish bag in water.

A note dated 27 March 2024, apparently written by Liu's father, mentioned concerns about "something happening to God's family".

"When you think I am useless and you don't need me, just like sending me to the airport, send me to the No. 1 bridge and give me two bags of stones," the note said.

"I'll walk into the sea by myself."

Another note followed by entry dated 16 and 17 April mentioned "remember the lesson of that dead person".

"We wanted to be good to her, but we clashed, we mutually/would mutually wanted to kill," the note said.

"But she on her own definitely wouldn't be able to kill us, so it will definitely be her who dies."

Earlier in court, Xiao reminded the jury to be careful about how they interpret the evidence.

The trial continues at the Auckland High Court and cross-examination from the defendants were expected on Monday.

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