Former Taiwanese actor Lee Wei was among the 13 people charged in an alleged cult murder that occurred last year.
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Taipei Times reports that Wei and the 12 others were indicted for the women’s death. She had died during a Buddhist retreat in July 2024. Among the charges they are facing include causing bodily injuries leading to death, complicity in causing bodily injuries leading to death, and coercion.
The woman, identified as surname Tsai, was a member of a religious group. She was found dead in the group’s meeting place located on a first-floor property of a residential block on Siwei Road in Taipei’s Daan District. Her body was covered in bruises.
Tsai’s autopsy confirmed that she had died from rhabdomyolysis. This medical condition involves the rapid dissolution of damaged or injured skeletal muscle.
The religious group’s leader, Buddhism writer Wang Yun has been accused of forcing Tsai to kneel in front of a Buddha statue. This was notably a form of repentance. However, she collapsed from exhaustion.
After she collapsed, the religious group’s chief executive, surname Wu, as well as a member, surname Chiang and Wei, pushed Tsai’s body in a trolley from a restaurant on the property. They then left the body in that spot. All three were caught on surveillance video.
Multiple media outlets confirmed that Tsai was the group’s accountant. The group members were described as “mostly white-collar professionals.”
Tsai’s bank accounts, which had more than NT$2 million, were emptied after her death.
Lee Wei Has Testified And Is Cooperating With Prosecutors as a Witness In The Case
Lee Wei and his wife, surname Chien, were released on bail for NT$300,000 and NT$150,000, respectively. Wei is said to be cooperating with prosecutors as a witness. He has also provided testimony on the other suspects in the case.
Prosecutors now seek to reduce and waive Wei’s sentencing under the Witness Protection Act. Under the Act’s Article 14, prosecutors may request the reduction of Wei’s sentence since he cooperated and testified.
Wei rose to fame for starring in the 2000s drama Toast Boy’s Kiss. He is also known for his roles in Lovestore in the Corner, Legend of the Jade Sword, and Hi My Sweetheart.
The actor turned to Buddhism after he left the entertainment business in the late 2010s.