Abby Choi’s name is back in headlines because the trial over her death finally opened in Hong Kong this week. If you’re only now learning who she was, here’s the full picture: a well-known Hong Kong model and socialite whose 2023 murder shocked a city where violent crime is rare, and whose case is now, three and a half years later, in front of a jury.
Background: Who Was Abby Choi?
Abby Choi, whose Chinese name is 蔡天鳳, was a Hong Kong model, socialite, and social media influencer born on July 15, 1994. She built a public profile around fashion, luxury travel, and appearances at high-end events, and had grown her Instagram following into the tens of thousands, with reporting describing her follower count as over 100,000 at the time of her death. She moved in Hong Kong’s showbiz and business circles and was reportedly a friend of Moka Fang, the wife of Hong Kong actor Aaron Kwok.
People are searching “who is Abby Choi” for two very different reasons. Some are hearing about her for the first time because of this week’s trial news. Others already know the outline of the case — the missing-person report, the discovery of dismembered remains, the arrests of her ex-husband’s family — and want an update on where the legal process stands now.
Latest Update
As of September 23, 2026, here is what’s currently known. The long-awaited murder trial of Choi’s ex-husband, Alex Kwong Kong-chi, his father, former police officer Kwong Kau, and his brother, Anthony Kwong Kong-kit, opened at Hong Kong’s High Court on September 21, 2026, before deputy judge Brian Keith. The three face a joint charge of murder, along with a charge of preventing the lawful burial of a body. Prosecutors, led by Senior Counsel Charlotte Draycott, previously told the court that the delay in bringing the case to trial was due to the sheer volume of DNA testing forensic scientists had to carry out. The jury trial is expected to run for around 45 days and could continue into December 2026. Crowds gathered outside the courthouse on the opening day, and a live video broadcast was arranged to accommodate public interest.
Key date: September 21, 2026 — The murder trial of Alex Kwong, Kwong Kau, and Anthony Kwong formally opened at the Hong Kong High Court, more than three years after Choi’s death.
No verdict has been reached as of this writing, and none of the three defendants has yet entered a plea recorded in public reporting beyond standing trial on the charges. Anything claiming a verdict or conviction before the trial concludes should be treated as false or premature.
Full Profile
Family and Early Life
Abby Choi was born and raised in Hong Kong. Reporting describes her as coming from a family reportedly connected to the construction industry, though detailed information about her upbringing and childhood has not been widely published by major outlets and is treated here as limited/unconfirmed beyond what’s noted above.
Career Path
Choi worked as a model and built a public identity as a socialite and lifestyle influencer, sharing photo shoots, fashion-week appearances, and glamorous events with her online following. Days before her death, she had posted about attending a Dior show at Paris Fashion Week, underscoring how active and visible her public life was right up until she went missing.
Age
Abby Choi was born on July 15, 1994, and was 28 years old at the time of her death in February 2023. This is confirmed by multiple major outlets, including CNN, the Associated Press, and Wikipedia’s sourced entry on the case.
Religion
Abby Choi’s religion has not been reported by any credible source. This detail is unconfirmed.
Spouse/Partner
Choi married Alex Kwong Kong-chi in 2012; the couple divorced in 2015 and had two children together. She later remarried and had two more children with her second husband, bringing her total to four children. Her second husband’s identity has been kept largely out of public reporting, and further personal details about that relationship are not widely confirmed in major coverage.
Net Worth
Some outlets have reported that Choi had a personal net worth of more than HK$100 million, tied to her family’s reported construction-industry background. This figure comes from press reporting around the case rather than a public financial disclosure, so it should be read as a reported estimate rather than an audited fact.
 A note on this case: Given how sensitive and graphic parts of this story are, this article sticks to what’s been confirmed by major news organizations and avoids restating forensic detail beyond what’s necessary for context.
Parents
Specific names and details about Abby Choi’s parents have not been consistently confirmed in major English-language reporting. This detail is unconfirmed here.
Height
No credible source has published a confirmed height for Abby Choi. This detail is unconfirmed.
Education
Details of Abby Choi’s educational background have not been widely reported by major outlets. This detail is unconfirmed.
Hometown/State of Origin
Abby Choi was born and based in Hong Kong, where she lived and built her career until her death in February 2023.
Official Social Media
Her Instagram account, referenced in coverage under the handle @xxabbyc, remains online as a record of her public life and career.
Quick Facts Table
| Category | Detail | Verification Status |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Abby Choi (蔡天鳳) | Confirmed |
| Born | July 15, 1994, Hong Kong | Confirmed |
| Died | c. February 21, 2023 (age 28) | Confirmed |
| Occupation | Model, socialite, influencer | Confirmed |
| Children | Four, from two marriages | Confirmed |
| Case Status (as of Sept 23, 2026) | Murder trial underway at Hong Kong High Court | Confirmed |
| Defendants | Alex Kwong (ex-husband), Kwong Kau (father-in-law), Anthony Kwong (brother-in-law) | Confirmed |
| Trial Started | September 21, 2026 | Confirmed |
| Net Worth | Reportedly over HK$100 million | Reported estimate, not officially confirmed |
Reader Questions (FAQ)
Who is Abby Choi?
Abby Choi was a Hong Kong model, socialite, and social media influencer who was murdered in February 2023. Her case became one of the most closely followed crime stories in Hong Kong’s recent history.
How did Abby Choi die?
Choi was reported missing on February 21, 2023, and her dismembered remains were discovered three days later at a village house in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district. Police classified her death as murder.
Who is accused of killing Abby Choi?
Her ex-husband, Alex Kwong Kong-chi, along with his father, Kwong Kau, and his brother, Anthony Kwong Kong-kit, are on trial on a joint charge of murder, as well as a charge of preventing the lawful burial of a body.
Is the Abby Choi murder trial happening now?
Yes. The trial opened at Hong Kong’s High Court on September 21, 2026, and is expected to last roughly 45 days, potentially running into December 2026.
Has anyone been convicted in the Abby Choi case?
No verdict has been reached as of this writing. Alex Kwong was previously sentenced to three and a half years in prison in June 2024, but that sentence was for separate theft and bail-jumping charges, not for murder.
How old was Abby Choi when she died?
She was 28 years old, having been born on July 15, 1994, and killed around February 21, 2023.
Wrap-Up
Abby Choi’s public life, before any of this happened, looked like that of any successful lifestyle influencer: fashion shows, brand moments, a growing following, and a busy social calendar that included Paris Fashion Week just days before she disappeared. That contrast — an ordinary, glamorous online presence followed by an extraordinarily violent crime — is part of why the case has held public attention in Hong Kong and internationally for more than three years.
With the trial now underway, the next real update in this story will come from the courtroom rather than from speculation. Given how long this case took to reach trial and how much forensic evidence prosecutors say they had to process, it’s worth expecting the proceedings to move slowly, with the possibility of the case running for weeks before a jury reaches any verdict.
Until then, the honest answer to “what happened to Abby Choi” is that a jury is currently working through that exact question, and no outlet — however confident the headline — can responsibly claim to know the outcome before the court does.
Thomas Andrew is the founder of Odubio.com, a digital platform sharing inspiring biographies, news, and stories about global icons and achievers.