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Editor: Wise Evening Breeze Roy
introduction
"I'm not a murderer, I just want to kill people who don't deserve to live." That's what Lam told police after his arrest, one of the most notorious serial killers in Hong Kong history.
Lin Guoyun's life and background
Lin Guoyun was born on May 22, 1955, the eldest son of his father Lin Weile, born to Zhang Jianping of the main room. Lam has three wives and ten children, and Lam has six half-siblings.
During his childhood, he worked for an oil company in Brunei, where he and his sister lived with their mother and lived in the company dormitory with Lam's concubines and half-siblings. Lim Guoyun studied in kindergarten and primary school in Brunei, where he achieved excellent results, but he was often severely disciplined and scolded by his father.
In December 1962, Lam returned to Hong Kong with his family and moved into his own home in Kwun Tong, where he studied at a government primary school. He still maintained excellent grades in primary school, but after moving to junior high school, his mathematics performance could not catch up because his father asked him to attend Matteo Ricci Secondary School in Sham Shui Po in the morning and evening school at the Polytechnic Institute in the evening.
In 1970, Lin Weile opened a shop to sell motorcycles and asked Lin Guoyun to help look at the shop every day after class, Lin Guoyun's grades went downhill, and his relationship with his father began to deteriorate, often being scolded by his father and driving him out of home, and the situation continued until Lin Guoyun was in the fourth grade of middle school.
After graduating from secondary school, Lam started working in his father's motorcycle shop on Corning Road in Kwun Tong, and then worked as an air-conditioning apprentice with a relative. In early 1973, after an argument with his father, Lam was evicted from home and arrested for forcing a woman into entering a public toilet near a public toilet on Hok Yuen Street in Hung Hom, touching her lower body with her hand.
The doctor pointed out that Lin Guoyun had mental problems and was not suitable for trial or imprisonment, and was sentenced to Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital for treatment, and after receiving 102 days of treatment, he was allowed to be discharged from the hospital, and changed his name to Lin Youqiang.
When Lam was about 19 years old, his family discovered that he was behaving unusually, and when he was found peeping at his sister's naked body outside the toilet of his residence in Kwun Tong, the family asked him to move to another residence in Anqing House, Guizhou Street, To Kwa Wan, where he lived with his father and other siblings.
Lin Guoyun shared a room with his younger brother, Lin Guoyun slept in the lower compartment of the bunk bed, and his brother slept in the upper compartment, and the two had an agreement that each person's belongings would be placed separately without interfering with each other. In 1978, Lin Guoyun obtained a taxi license, officially became a taxi driver and changed his name to Lin Guoyun, and in about 1980 he became a night taxi driver, and his family members had the opportunity to meet him every 145 days.
In 1981, he suddenly became interested in photography, began to study photography technology, and joined the photography club.
After working as a night taxi driver for a year, his mother noticed a great change in his behavior, such as refusing to wash and bathe, behaving dejected, etc., and once saw him walking around the house like a sleepwalker in the middle of the night. On February 3, 1982, Lin Guoyun began his road to serial killing.
Serial dismemberment case
| date (1982) | Name of the deceased | Age at death | occupation | The history of the incident |
| February 3 | Chen Fenglan | 22 | Nightclub mom born | Chan Fung Lan drank with a friend after work at 4 a.m. and took a taxi driven by the defendant in the Tsim Sha Tsui area after drinking alcohol. After Lin Guoyun arrived at her destination Kwun Tong, she drove her back to the downstairs of her residence in To Kwa Wan, and after returning home to get the wires, she strangled the drunken Chen Fenglan to death in the car, and took the body home and hid it under the sofa in the living room. The next day, after the people in the house went out, Lin stripped off the clothes on the body and took pictures of the body. Lin took out 500 yuan from Chen Fenglan's wallet, went to the street to buy a chainsaw, and then dismembered Chen Fenglan into seven pieces, the process was recorded in the video "Serious Secret", the sexual organs were put into a plastic box with rice wine to be embalmed, and then wrapped in newspaper and put in a plastic bag, and the limbs were abandoned in a hillside grass on the fire during the evening shift, and the limbs were then washed down the Shing Mun River by heavy rain and floated to the area from the Good Luck Center to Regal Garden. |
| May 29 | Chen Yunjie | 31 | Recreation Centre cashier | Chen Yunjie left work at 5:20 a.m. and took a taxi driven by Lin Guoyun home in the heavy rain. Lin Guoyun stopped on the way, frightened Chen Yunjie with a knife finger, handcuffed Chen Yunjie, and finally strangled the victim with a wire. This time, Lin Guoyun used a surgical scalpel to dismember and completely cut off one of the deceased's breasts and entire genitals for embalming. The rest of the body was wrapped in newspaper, put in a sack, and the shredded body was placed in the trunk of a taxi for the night before the limbs were discarded on the slope of the big tunnel. The dismemberment is included in the "Serious Secret" tape. |
| June 17 | Liang Xiuyun | 29 | Nightclub waiter | Liang Xiuyun left work at 4 a.m. to take a taxi driven by Lin Guoyun and was killed shortly after. Lin took the body back home for photographs and video dismemberment, and the video was called "Operation Rainy Night." In order to facilitate "work", Lin Guoyun put the camcorder on a bunk bed and used the selfie function to record his actions. Since there was no need to operate the camera, Lin Guoyun's dismemberment work was more careful than the previous two times, and he even cut open the abdomen of the deceased, picked out the intestines, and put them in his mouth to taste. Lin Guoyun had the urge to taste human flesh, but finally gave up because he felt sick. Limbs abandoned in large pits. |
| July 2 | Liang Huixin | 17 | St. Francis' College Form 5 students | After attending the teacher appreciation banquet at Sheraton Tsim Sha Tsui Hotel, Leung boarded a taxi outside the hotel at 11pm to return to her apartment in Hung Hom Valley Road Estate, but has since disappeared without any news. The family called the classmates attending the banquet to inquire and find out their whereabouts near the hotel at night, but to no avail, and after discussion, decided to call the police for help. The Police informed all patrolling officers and hospitals in Hong Kong of the information on the missing person, and on 5 August distributed tracing revelations and photographs to appeal to the public to provide information, but to no avail, the school also stated that she was not seen to return to school to collect her HKIAC transcript[12], until the Police arrested Lam and recovered Leung's relics and some organs at her home, only to learn that she had been killed. Lin Guoyun said that he locked Liang Huixin's hands in handcuffs, talked with her in the taxi about school, future, family, religion, soul and other topics, strangled her with a wire, took the body home to rape and dismember, the process was recorded in the "Fourth Action" tape, and the stump was buried in the big pit. |
Expose arrests
Lam's crime was eventually revealed because of a mistake he had made. After dismembering his body, he would record his actions with cameras and cameras, and store videotapes and films in his residence. He would also make specimens of some of the corpse's organs, embalmed them with rice wine, and keep them in the refrigerator or closet. He thought these were his "private collections" that would not be discovered by anyone.
However, Lin Guoyun did not expect that the photos and videos he took needed to be viewed through professional equipment. He didn't have his own processor or projector, so he had to go outside to the photo shop to develop photographs and copy videotapes. This gives the police an opportunity to trace the photos and videos to find Lin's identity and address.
In fact, on August 10, 1982, Lin Guoyun visited a photography shop in Mong Kok and asked to develop some photographs. These photos are all the stump and organs of the corpse he photographed, which is very horrific and bloody. At that time, the lady of the photography shop thought that these photos were suspicious, so she secretly took a photo of Lin Guoyun and handed these photos to the police.
After receiving the photos, the police immediately launched an investigation. They found links between the photos and the four bodies of women found earlier and suspected it was a serial murder. They also found the address and phone number that Mr. Lin had left at the photo shop and confirmed that he was a night taxi driver. Therefore, the police decided to track and monitor Lin Guoyun.
On the evening of August 17, the police found Lin Guoyun again in Mong Kok. He went to the same photo shop again and asked for a copy of the videotape. The tape was his previous "serious secret" and recorded his dismemberment of the body. At that time, the photo shop had been installed by the police with bugs and monitors, so the police could clearly hear and see Lin Guoyun speaking and acting.
When Lin Guoyun got the copied videotape and was about to leave, the police immediately dispatched to intercept him and arrest him. The police searched the items he was carrying and found a knife, a pair of handcuffs, a roll of wire, a taxi license plate, an identity card, a bank card, more than 200 yuan in cash, and the videotape.
The police immediately took Lin Guoyun back to his residence in Room F, 2nd Floor, Anqing Building, Guizhou Street, To Kwa Wan for search. There, police were horrified to find a variety of evidence, including:
- Two cameras, two cameras, two projectors, two processing machines, and a large number of films, videotapes, slides, etc.;
- a refrigerator filled with rice wine and human organs (including vagina, breasts, intestines, etc.), and a wardrobe containing human skulls;
- a note with the words "Butcher of a Rainy Night", as well as a diary documenting his motives and details of the crime;
- Some relics belonging to the four victims, including clothes, shoes, jewelry, wallets, identity cards, etc.;
- Some tools for dismembering cadavers, including chainsaws, surgical scalpels, scissors, hammers, etc.
The police found a large amount of evidence in Lam's residence, confirming that he was the murderer of the serial murder case. They also found the relics and parts of the organs of the fourth victim, Liang Huixin, but did not find her body. Police took Mr. Lim back to the police station for interrogation and charged him with four counts of murder.
Interrogation and sentencing
After his arrest on August 18, 1982, Lin was charged with four counts of murder, namely the murder of Chen Fenglan, Chen Yunjie, Leung Xiuyun and Leung Huixin. He confessed to his crime during police questioning and explained to the police his motive and details of the crime, as well as how he handled the body and made the specimen. He also showed police photos and videos he had taken, as well as diaries he had written.
- Lam was tried in the High Court on 3 March 1983 and was presided over by Judge Li Kwok-wah and decided by a jury. Lam's defense lawyer is Huang Guoguang, and the prosecutor is Ma Lid.
- Lin did not deny his guilt in court, nor did he defend or intercede for himself. He simply expressed his deep interest in anatomy and his curiosity. He said he killed to satisfy his sexuality and creative desires, and that he considered himself an artist, not a pervert. He also said he was proud and satisfied with his actions and did not have any regrets or guilt.
- The prosecutor pointed out in court that Lin Guoyun's crime was extremely cruel and perverted, he not only killed four innocent women, but also carried out horrific acts such as dismembering, raping corpses, taking pictures and videos of their bodies. He also made specimens of their organs, embalmed them with rice wine, and kept them in the refrigerator or closet.
Prosecutors said Lin Guoyun was a typical sexual perverted murderer, he had severe psychological disorders and sexual dysfunction, he killed to satisfy his sexual desire and vanity, and he had no remorse or sympathy for his crimes. Prosecutors believe that Lin Guoyun is an extremely dangerous person to society and should be sentenced to the harshest punishment.
The defense lawyer did not defend Lin Guoyun in court, but only raised some factors that may affect his psychological state, such as his childhood experience, family background, education level, work environment, etc. The defense lawyers also invited some psychologists and psychiatrists to conduct a psychological assessment and psychiatric evaluation of Lin Guoyun.
They believe that Lin Guoyun suffers from a rare mental illness called "lustful murderer", which makes him unable to control his impulses and desires, and cannot distinguish between right and wrong and good and evil. They suggested that Lin should be sent to a psychiatric hospital for treatment and observation, rather than sentenced to death.
After hearing statements and evidence from both sides, the jury unanimously found Lin guilty of four counts of murder after two hours of deliberation. In announcing the verdict, Judge Li Guohua said that Lam's crime was one of the most cruel and horrific cases in Hong Kong history, that he had no respect and compassion for human dignity and life, and that he was completely ineligible to continue living in this world. Judge Li Guohua sentenced Lam to death under Hong Kong's death penalty law still in force at the time and ordered him to be sent to the gallows for execution.
- After hearing the verdict, Lin Guoyun did not react at all, but said lightly: "I am not convinced." He then appealed, which was dismissed by the High Court.
- Since Hong Kong has not carried out the death penalty since 1966, Lam's death penalty needs to be approved by the Governor and the Executive Bureau. During this period, many people interceded for Lin Guoyun, including his family, lawyers, churches, and social groups. They believe that Lin Guoyun is a mentally disabled person, and they believe that the death penalty is a cruel and inhuman punishment that does not solve any problem and does not prevent crime. They believe that Hong Kong should abolish the death penalty to meet human rights and civilized standards.
Of course, there are also many people who oppose intercession for Lin Guoyun, including the victims' families, the police, the media, and the public. They believe that Lin Guoyun is a demon, that everything he did to the four women is an unforgivable crime, and that he should be punished by law and heaven. They believe that the death penalty is a just and necessary punishment that punishes criminals, protects society and deters crime. They believe that the death penalty should be carried out in Hong Kong to maintain the rule of law and order.
- After more than a year of deliberation, the Governor and the Executive Council announced their final decision in August 1984. They pardoned Lam's death sentence, commuted his sentence to life imprisonment, and decided that they would not grant parole or a commutation of his sentence. They said they did so out of consideration for Hong Kong society and the international community, as well as humanitarian concern for Lam himself.
- Such a result has caused strong repercussions and controversy in Hong Kong, and some people believe that it is a weak and wrong approach. In any case, Lin Guoyun has been in prison since then, until today.
Prison life
- After Lim was sentenced to life imprisonment, he was first detained in Stanley Prison and then transferred to Shibi Prison. Shek Bi Prison is a highly fortified prison located on Lantau Island that specializes in housing dangerous criminals and death row inmates.
- Lin Guoyun's state and behavior in prison has been low-key and silent, he does not communicate or argue with other inmates or guards, and does not participate in any activities or training. He just spent every day in his cell reading, keeping a diary, drawing or doing crafts.
- Lin Guoyun's relationship in prison is also cold and isolated, and he does not have any friends or relatives to visit or write to him. His family and lawyers have cut him off, and he doesn't care about the outside world.
effect
- Impact on Hong Kong's legal system: Lam's case is the first serial murder case in Hong Kong and one of the most brutal and horrific cases in Hong Kong's history, causing widespread concern and panic in the society.
After Lam was sentenced to death, his sentence was automatically changed to life imprisonment because Hong Kong had stopped carrying out executions. This has sparked some discussion and controversy over whether the death penalty should be reinstated in Hong Kong. Some argue that the death penalty is the only justice and deterrent to such brutal and unscrupulous criminals, while life imprisonment is an unfair burden on taxpayers.
Others believe that the death penalty is a punishment that violates human rights and civility and has the potential to lead to wrongful convictions. Currently, Hong Kong still retains the death penalty law, but has effectively abolished it.
- Impact on Criminal Psychology: Lam's case was the first case in Hong Kong to be classified as "lewd homicide" and the first in Hong Kong to be analysed by applying criminal psychology. Lin Guoyun's criminal motives, psychological state, behavioral characteristics, and modus operandi have all been thoroughly studied and discussed by experts and scholars.
Lin Guoyun is considered to be a typical sexual perverted murderer, he has severe psychological disorders and sexual dysfunction, he kills to satisfy his sexual desire and vanity, and he has no remorse or sympathy for his crimes. The case of Lin Guoyun has also promoted the development and popularization of criminal psychology in Hong Kong, and raised the attention and understanding of the police and society in this field.