British lecturer found dead in China ‘possibly murdered’

HONG KONG: A British lecturer who taught in Hong Kong has been found dead in mainland China and was “possibly” murdered, police said, with fears his disappearance three weeks ago was linked to a million-dollar property deal.

Local media reported Hilary Bower, 60, had been murdered, but only that he had been killed.

Bower worked at Hong Kong Polytechnic University and lived across the border in the southern mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen, commuting between the two places.

He lived with his girlfriend and six-year-old son, according to reports.

Hong Kong police said Wednes from mainland authorities that Bower had been killed in China.

There were no further details given about where he was found or how he died.

from mainland relevant authorities that he was killed on the night of March 22,” a Hong Kong police statement said.

A police source told Agence FrancePresse it was “possibly a murder” but mainland counterparts.

Bower was last seen on March 21, Hong Kong police said, adding that he had crossed from Hong Kong into the mainland.

Local reports said Bower was last spotted at a land border checkpoint.

His girlfriend reported him missing at a police station in Hong Kong on March 30, the police statement said.

A UK Foreign and Common “We are providing assistance to the family of a British national reported missing in southern China and are urgently seeking further information from local authorities.”

A friend of Bower criticized police on both sides of the border for their handling of the case.

Richard Charles described them as “shoddy and shambolic,” the

reported. Charles also said he believed disappearance and a recent property sale for which Bower was due to receive HK$9 million ($1.2 million), the SCMP reported.

Bower was an English language instructor at the university and had also taught in China, South Korea, Thailand, Spain and Kuwait, according to his personal homepage on the university website.