Verdict expected for 2015 murder of millionaire in West Vancouver

Disclaimer: This story involves details from the case, which may be disturbing to some readers.

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) —  A BC Supreme Court judge is expected to deliver his verdict for the 2015 murder of a wealthy West Vancouver businessman.

Li Zhao faces charges of second-degree murder and interfering with human remains for the death of his business associate Gang Yuan.

They lived together in a West Vancouver mansion at the time of Yuan’s death.

Zhao admits he shot Yuan but claims his death was an accident and pleaded not guilty.

Zhao’s lawyer Ian Donaldson suggests the violence stemmed from insults Yuan made about Zhao’s daughter, and provocation must have been significant for a man with no history of violence.

Yuan was found cut into more than 100 pieces with a power saw in the mansion’s garage.

Zhao later told a forensic psychiatrist

Justice Terrance Schultes has the option to find Zhao guilty of manslaughter if the Crown did not prove his intent to kill Yuan. However, Schultes noted the pathological evidence shows Zhao “neatly” dismembered the body.

Zhao has been in custody since his arrest in 2015.

A second-degree murder conviction is an automatic sentence of life in prison, with no chance of parole for at least 10 years.

Tune in to NEWS 1130 for the latest updates on the decision.