The leader of a fringe religious group in New Zealand has been sentenced to more than 10 years in jail over the death of a 70-year-old woman who had travelled from China to live in his house called the “Ark”.
Kaixiao Liu, 39, was sentenced to 10 years and five months at the high court in Auckland after being convicted of manslaughter and kidnapping in connection with the death of 70-year-old Shulai Wang.
His 38-year-old wife, Lanyue Xiao, was also sentenced to seven years and 11 months in prison.
They ran a religious community at home, and besides Liu’s parents, there were six women from China, including Wang, who the judge said “remained here illegally”.
Wang, from China’s Hainan province, arrived in New Zealand in August 2023 and subsequently lived with Liu, Xiao, and other women at their home, which was called the Ark, in Orewa in the north of Auckland, local media reported.
The prosecution described the household as tightly controlled, with the women expected to follow Liu’s rules and refer to him as “lord” or “master”.
Wang was said to have spent much of her time caring for Liu’s children, studying religious texts, and working in the garden. Court proceedings heard that she struggled with some of the household’s “suffocatingly strict” requirements and was repeatedly punished.
In March 2024, Wang attempted to leave but was captured and restrained. Prosecutors said she was held for about 38 hours, her food and water was withheld, and her mouth taped shut to prevent her from screaming, 1News reported.
She died later that day. Her body was subsequently transported to Gulf Harbour, where it was concealed near a marina. Liu took his children on the trip, with the court hearing that they were used “as camouflage”.
Wang’s remains were discovered days later after a fisherman found the body near the marina at Gulf Harbour. She had been wrapped in bags and rice sacks.
Police eventually connected the packaging to Liu after investigating his unusually large purchases of the particular rice brand used to conceal the body.
Justice Mathew Downs described Liu as the ringleader and said he had shown “callous indifference” towards Wang.
“Because of you, Ms Wang died a lonely, frightening death. You display no remorse whatsoever. You should feel shame.”
The judge said Liu had made the major decisions surrounding Wang’s detention and punishment, making him more culpable than his wife.
The court also heard that Liu had retained objects associated with Wang’s detention and disposal of her body. Justice Downs said these appeared to have been used to intimidate the other women living in the household.
“Ms Xiao, there is no evidence whatsoever you demonstrated any empathy for Ms Wang or the other women either,” the judge said.
Mr Downs said he had observed disagreements between the couple during the trial and that there were occasions when Liu appeared to defer to his wife.
“If you had sought to dissuade Mr Liu from the offending, there is a very real prospect he might have been so dissuaded,” he said.
The couple have five children and the judge said that Xiao is pregnant with a sixth.
Liu was also convicted of interfering with human remains, attempting to obstruct the course of justice and refusing to provide police with passwords to electronic devices during a search.
Liu’s lawyer, Ron Mansfield KC, sought a more lenient sentence and said his client remained in disagreement with the prosecution’s account of what happened.
“He is not a cult leader, nor require people to follow his cult,” Mr Mansfield said.
He argued that Liu had gained followers primarily through his music rather than religious preaching. He also pointed to Liu’s role as a father and said that separation from his children had made his time in custody particularly difficult.
Liu has previously described himself as a musician.
He appeared on China’s Got Talent in 2011, where online footage showed him performing while blindfolded.
Liu and Xiao have been together for about a decade, the judge said. They met while both were living in the United States before moving to New Zealand in 2017. They have remained in the country since then and became permanent residents.
After moving to New Zealand with Xiao in 2017, Liu developed an online following through religious discussions, music and video content. He also established a project called Universal Choir, which produced orchestral music with cosmic themes.
Police told the court that at least one woman had encountered Liu and his followers online before joining the household. An officer who interviewed her said she told police she had “met the people over the internet through a song website, and she referred to the occupants of the house as friends”.
Liu’s parents were also convicted in connection with the case. His mother, Xiuyun Li, was convicted of kidnapping, while his father, Jingui Liu, was convicted of misconduct involving human remains.
They are due to be sentenced later this year.
Read MoreTrump moves toward levying new tariff on China for flooding market with cheap goods, AP sources say
The Latest: Bessent warns the world to cut financial ties to Iran or face US retaliation
Taiwan charges 9 over illegal AI server exports to China, including Nvidia and Super Micro staff
Shark attack survivor says daughter gave her strength to fight for life
New Zealand becomes latest country to propose social media ban for children
