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Murder of Weng Chi-nan

SOLVED2010Da-dun 10th Street, Taichung City, Taiwan3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026

Documents violence · ongoing investigation — written to inform, not to shock.

Illustrative

Weng Chi-nan, described as a gangster, was murdered on 28 May 2010 in Taichung City, Taiwan. He was shot seven times shortly after walking into his office. An associate, Lai Jung-chen, was also injured in the shooting and died four days later. Notably, four police officers were present in Weng's office at the time of the shooting but took no action, a fact that raised suspicions of ties between the police and organized crime.

According to the investigation, Yang Ding-jung, a rival gangster, orchestrated the assassination and hired Liao Kuo-hao to carry out the killing. Liao purchased a used car in Hsinchu County that was later used as a getaway vehicle, checked into a motel near Taichung the night before, and informed an associate, Lin Ying-hao, of his plan. On the day of the murder, security video showed Liao entering Weng's office roughly 30 seconds after Weng, firing sixteen shots and striking Weng seven times. Lin drove Liao away from the scene, and the car was later abandoned near Sun Moon Lake, where police recovered it the next day. Liao was then picked up by another associate, Huang Jun-long, and taken to a hideout in northern Taiwan, discarding parts of the murder weapons along the way.

Yang Ding-jung was arrested on 26 June 2010 after returning from China; phone records showed contact between Yang and Liao the day before the murder, and Yang had fled to Xiamen on the day of the killing. He was ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment for manslaughter, a sentence upheld by the Taiwan Supreme Court in 2012. Two drivers linked to the stolen getaway vehicle, Chang Yu-hao and Su Kuan-yu, were arrested but later released for insufficient evidence. Lin Ying-hao was arrested on 13 August 2010 and confessed to driving Liao to the office.

Liao Kuo-hao eluded police for about three months before surrendering on 25 August 2010, arranging his surrender through a politician. He confessed to being the gunman and was charged with two counts of murder, for Weng and Lai, as well as a prior attempted murder of a restaurant owner. Because he turned 18 after the murders, he was not eligible for capital punishment. On 19 January 2011 he was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison for the combined offenses; this was later increased to thirty years due to an illegal weapons charge, upheld by the Taiwan Supreme Court in December 2011.

The presence of police officers during the shooting led to a broader corruption investigation. The officers said they had gone to drink tea with a retired officer and were unaware the office belonged to Weng, though it was later revealed they had played mahjong with him. Two senior officers received demerits and were transferred. The Taichung Police Commissioner, Hu Mu-yuan, resigned on 3 June 2010, in part over delayed reporting of the case and the quality of the police report. Later investigations found Weng had close connections to the Taichung City Police Department, prompting new rules governing police-gang relationships.

Key facts

Victims
Weng Chi-nan, Lai Jung-chen
Date
2010
Location
Da-dun 10th Street, Taichung City, Taiwan
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2009-01-19

    Liao Kuo-hao attempted to kill Taichung restaurant owner Zhao Jun-yu on Weng's orders, but failed.

  2. 2010-05-28

    Weng Chi-nan was shot seven times in his Taichung City office by gunman Liao Kuo-hao; associate Lai Jung-chen was also injured.

  3. 2010-05-29

    The getaway vehicle was found abandoned near Sun Moon Lake by police.

  4. 2010-06-01

    Lai Jung-chen died from injuries sustained during the shooting, four days after the attack.

  5. 2010-06-03

    Taichung Police Commissioner Hu Mu-yuan resigned amid the fallout from the case.

  6. 2010-06-26

    Yang Ding-jung was arrested after returning from China, accused of orchestrating the murder.

  7. 2010-08-13

    Lin Ying-hao was arrested and confessed to driving Liao to Weng's office.

  8. 2010-08-25

    Liao Kuo-hao surrendered to police after eluding capture for 89 days.

  9. 2011-01-19

    Liao Kuo-hao was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison for the murders and the earlier attempted murder.

  10. 2011-07

    Liao's sentence was increased to thirty years due to an illegal weapons charge.

  11. 2011-12

    The Taiwan Supreme Court upheld Liao's thirty-year sentence.

  12. 2012

    The Taiwan Supreme Court upheld Yang Ding-jung's life sentence for manslaughter.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Lin Ying-hao

    CHARGED

    Arrested 13 August 2010 and confessed to driving Liao to Weng's office as the getaway driver.

    citation on file

  • Chang Yu-hao

    CHARGED

    Arrested as a suspect accused of driving Liao to and from Weng's office; later released for insufficient evidence.

    citation on file

  • Liao Kuo-hao

    CONVICTED

    Convicted gunman who shot Weng and Lai; sentenced to thirty years' imprisonment for two murders and an earlier attempted murder, with the sentence upheld by the Taiwan Supreme Court in December 2011.

    citation on file

  • Yang Ding-jung

    CONVICTED

    Rival gangster convicted of orchestrating the assassination; sentenced to life imprisonment for manslaughter, upheld by the Taiwan Supreme Court in 2012.

    citation on file

  • Weng Chi-nan

    VICTIM

    Gangster shot seven times in his Taichung office on 28 May 2010; died as a result of the shooting.

    citation on file

  • Lai Jung-chen

    VICTIM

    Weng's associate, injured in the same shooting and died four days later.

    citation on file

  • Su Kuan-yu

    CHARGED

    Arrested as a suspect accused of driving a stolen vehicle used in the crime; later released for insufficient evidence.

    citation on file

Places

Da-dun 10th Street, Taichung City, Taiwan

24.1477, 120.6736

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Weng Chi-nan, a Taichung gangster, was shot dead in his office on 28 May 2010 by a hired gunman while four police officers present took no action, later fueling suspicions of police corruption.
Where did the murder happen?
Da-dun 10th Street, Taichung City, Taiwan.
Who was convicted?
Liao Kuo-hao (Convicted gunman who shot Weng and Lai; sentenced to thirty years' imprisonment for two murders and an earlier attempted murder, with the sentence upheld by the Taiwan Supreme Court in December 2011.) and Yang Ding-jung (Rival gangster convicted of orchestrating the assassination; sentenced to life imprisonment for manslaughter, upheld by the Taiwan Supreme Court in 2012.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.

Sources

  1. Murder of Weng Chi-nanwikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. Contemporaneous coverage of the Weng Chi-nan murdernews · taipeitimes.com · 2026-07-07
  3. Contemporaneous coverage of the Weng Chi-nan murdernews · chinapost.com.tw · 2026-07-07
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