2023 Taichung inheritance case

On 4 May 2023, an 18-year-old high school student surnamed Lai registered a same-sex marriage with 26-year-old Hsia Chao-yuan in Taichung, Taiwan. Two hours later, Lai fell to his death in Beitun District. The case drew widespread public attention due to the unclear circumstances of the fall, the complicated family background of the deceased, and the fact that Lai had recently inherited real estate valued at approximately NT$500 million, with some estimates placing the value at over NT$1.2 billion.

Lai's grandfather had entrusted a scrivener surnamed Hsia with transferring land to Lai as a gift. On the morning of 4 May 2023, Hsia Chao-yuan, the scrivener's son, met with Lai, and the two recruited two strangers as witnesses to register a same-sex marriage at a household registration office. They then went to Hsia Chao-yuan's apartment in Beitun District. Two hours later, Lai was found lying downstairs and was pronounced dead after being taken to hospital. His skull was reported intact with no obvious bloodstains at the scene, and initial emergency reports described the incident as a person collapsing on the street.

Forensic pathologist Kao Ta-cheng was commissioned by Lai's family to investigate the cause of death. A dispute arose after Hsia Chao-yuan retained 30 property certificates belonging to the deceased; Lai's mother's lawyer demanded their return, and when Hsia refused, a complaint for occupational embezzlement was filed. Kao later stated the case had become a confrontation between the victim's side and prosecutors, questioning the credibility of Hsia's account and noting conflicts with the prosecution's forensic report. The autopsy concluded the cause of death was consistent with a fall from height.

On 21 June 2023, the Taichung District Prosecutors Office concluded its investigation and, citing a lack of direct evidence of homicide, did not prosecute Hsia Chao-yuan or his father for murder. Prosecutors instead charged Hsia under Article 214 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of China, finding that the marriage registration had not been intended to establish a marital relationship but rather to cause a public official to make a false entry. The victim's family sought reconsideration of the non-prosecution decision for murder; after further investigation ordered by the Taichung Branch of the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office, prosecutors again declined to prosecute for murder in May 2025, and a subsequent request for reconsideration was rejected on 20 June 2025, making that decision final.

On 28 June 2024, the Taichung District Court found Hsia Chao-yuan and the deceased had jointly committed the offense of causing a public official to make false entries and sentenced Hsia to one year and six months' imprisonment without possibility of commutation to a fine. The appellate court rejected Hsia's appeal on 23 January 2025, and Hsia began serving his sentence on 3 February 2025.

In a related civil action, the Taichung District Court ruled on 18 June 2025 that the marriage lacked the substantive intent required for a valid marriage and declared it invalid; this judgment became final as neither party appealed. Disputes over inheritance distribution among Lai's mother and siblings remain unresolved.