Iraqi son-in-law suspected of murder after elderly Taiwanese couple found dead in Taipei City
Updates:
- The suspect is now being named as Alihammad Jomaah in Taiwan’s Chinese language media reports.
- Jomaah is believed to have flown to Baghdad via Japan, and contacted his wife to inform her that their child is with him in Iraq.
Police suspect an Iraqi national resident of Japan killed his elderly Taiwanese parents-in-law two days ago, and fled back to Japan with his one-year-old son, yesterday, April 30, after the couple were found dead in their Taipei City home this morning.
Shilin District police received a report from the couple’s son that he had found his 71-year-old parents, named Hsiao (蕭), without breathing or heartbeat, in their home in Shilin District, when he went to check in on them at around 8:30am this morning, May 1.
Mr and Mrs Hsiao’s son had grown concerned after not being able to contact his parents all day yesterday.
Investigators found Mr Hsiao’s body in a bathroom on the first floor, and Mrs Hsiao in a bedroom on the second floor. The couple had obviously been dead for some time.
Investigators at first suspected that the couple may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning, but quickly ruled out the possibility after firefighters confirmed that the gas hot water system was properly fitted with an exhaust system, and there were no other sources of combustion.
In the meantime, a forensics examination found faint marks on the couple’s necks. There were also signs that parts of the house had been rummaged through.
After a preliminary investigation, investigators suspect that the couple were strangled to death with a rolled-up towel. An autopsy will be carried out to confirm the cause of death this afternoon.
According to the investigation, Mr and Mrs Hsiao’s son-in-law, a 31-year-old Iraqi national named Jomaah (spelled Jaamah and Jummah in some reports), visited the couple at around 8:00pm, two days ago, April 29, to discuss the issue of custody of his one-year-old son, who was staying with Mr and Mrs Hsiao.
According to reports, Jomaah met his wife in the USA, and the couple married in Japan, where Jomaah works as an English teacher, about one year ago. The couple then resided in Japan.
Some time ago, the couple began to have disputes, and domestic violence incidents occurred. According to Liberty Times, Mr and Mrs Hsiao went to Japan and brought their daughter and grandson back to Taiwan.
After returning to Taiwan, Jomaah’s wife found a job, and left her son in her parents’ care.
Jomaah entered Taiwan on April 27. Police suspect that Jomaah had an argument with the Hsiaos, and killed them, on April 29, then took his son back to Japan.
A suspect named in media reports as Alihammad Jomaah is believed to have flown from Taiwan to Baghdad, Iraq, via Japan. 
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Sources: Apple Daily, United Daily News, Liberty Times Network.
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