Chinese beauty queen Athena Liya, real name Kong Limei, was allegedly kidnapped and killed after a friend lured her to the Philippines under the guise of a luxury holiday. The influencer disappeared after travelling to Manila for what she believed would be a high-end trip complete with a luxury hotel stay and beachside photoshoot.
Vanished after landing in June 2023
Athena vanished after landing in June 2023 but has now been confirmed dead. Her close friend, Li Yifei, who allegedly suggested the trip after claiming she needed company after a break-up, remains at large. Li is believed to have cancelled her own flight at the last minute, saying something had suddenly come up.
Athena, who was the second runner-up in the 2021 Miss World Macau pageant, travelled from Guangzhou to Manila alone, where she was allegedly kidnapped by a gang. Li then reportedly deleted her social media accounts and fled overseas. The gang took over Athena's social media accounts and began posting false claims that she had incurred huge gambling debts.
Family paid ransom but kidnappers did not release her
Her family reportedly paid a ransom of £593,000, but the kidnappers did not release her. One alleged gang member, Chen Yuxuan, was arrested in South Korea in September 2024. A major breakthrough in the case came on July 20 this year, when alleged gang mastermind Liu Hanwen was extradited from the US to China.
According to local reports, investigators confirmed on his return that Athena had been murdered and that her body had been disposed of. Athena had built a following of more than one million across Chinese social-media platforms, including Douyin, Xiaohongshu and Weibo. Her age has not been publicly verified, with conflicting reports giving different birth years.
Investigation ongoing
Li remains at large and an investigation into the case is ongoing.
