Gulf Harbour Trial: Recordings Expose Cover-Up Coaching

The trial of four family members accused of the manslaughter and kidnapping of Chinese woman Shulai Wang has taken a disturbing turn, with secret police recordings revealing a calculated attempt to coach the victim's son on how to deceive authorities about the circumstances of her death.

A religious group, a death, and 4500 secret recordings

Wang's body was found wrapped in rubbish bags in Auckland's Gulf Harbour in March 2024. Four members of the same family, Kaixiao Liu, his wife Lanyue Xiao, and parents Xiuyun Li and Jingui Liu, now face trial at the Auckland High Court.

The Crown's case paints a troubling picture of control and isolation. Prosecutor Henry Steele told the court that Wang had travelled to Aotearoa to receive religious instructions from Liu, and later died after an unsuccessful attempt to escape the household.

Police obtained roughly 4500 audio recordings through surveillance devices placed at the defendants' house in Ōrewa, north of Auckland. Sixteen of those recordings, spanning mid-July to late August, were entered as court exhibits.

Spoken mostly in Mandarin Chinese, portions were played in court on Wednesday, with English translations read aloud by Steele and police officer Zhiwei Jia.

Coaching a son to lie about his mother's death

The recordings reveal Liu giving comprehensive instructions to Wang's son, Chunhong Wu, who is based in China. Wu was identified as part of