Taiwan

The 2018 Taiwan case involving Liao Yanting's murder-suicide livestream: A tragedy of a terrifying lover breaking into a room and stabbing a woman five times.

On the evening of May 28, 2018, a horrific murder occurred on the 9th floor of a rental building on Section 3, Zhongshan North Road, Taipei City. A 26-year-old female livestreamer on the 17Livestreaming platform, Qiu Qiaoqi (stage name Qiaoqi Girl), was brutally stabbed multiple times in her rented apartment by her ex-boyfriend. She was found dead in a pool of blood, with ligature marks on her neck. The perpetrator, Liao Yanting (then 27 years old), was immediately subdued by police. He intoxicatedly opened the door and said, "I think I killed her." This case quickly shocked Taiwanese society and was dubbed the "17Livestreamer Murder Case" or the "Liao Yanting Murder of a Livestreamer Case," highlighting the extreme possessiveness and violence of a "terrifying lover" after a breakup, causing unease among many livestreaming professionals and young couples.

Qiu Qiaoqi was known for her sweet and delicate appearance and had tens of thousands of followers on the 17Livestreaming platform. Her main livestream content consisted of chatting and sharing her life, and she was very popular. Colleagues and close friends described her as cheerful, kind, and caring towards her friends. She and Liao Yanting were high school classmates and began dating after graduation, living together for about three years. Liao Yanting worked selling shoes, but according to the deceased's close friends and family, he was often a "gold digger," not proactive in his work, and financially dependent on Qiu Qiaoqi. He was even accused of infidelity and frequenting male escort clubs. During their relationship, Liao was extremely controlling, often arguing with Qiu Qiaoqi about her work or social life.

From late 2017 to early 2018, Qiu Qiaoqi, emotionally exhausted and feeling pressured by Liao's irresponsibility, decided to break up and kicked him out of their home. She changed the locks and specifically instructed the building security guard not to let Liao upstairs. Three months after the breakup, Liao Yanting repeatedly begged for reconciliation, even visiting Qiu's parents to ask them to intercede, but Qiu Qiaoqi remained resolute. Liao suspected his girlfriend of having an affair, and his resentment deepened. Before the incident, he had also damaged the door of Ms. Qiu's rented apartment, indicating a predisposition to violence.

On the afternoon of May 28, 2018, Liao Yanting had already conceived a murderous intent. He prepared a fruit knife, a scout rope (suspected to be used for strangulation), a suicide note, and drank a considerable amount of whiskey to bolster his courage. Around 6:30 PM, he sneaked into the building and waited near Ms. Qiu's apartment. Neighbors, hearing a commotion, opened their doors to investigate and were shocked to see Liao rushing into Ms. Qiu's room with a knife in his hand. They immediately called the police. When the police arrived, they repeatedly knocked on the iron door until Liao Yanting opened it and surrendered. Upon entering the apartment, officers found Ms. Qiu lying in a pool of blood, with multiple stab wounds and obvious ligature marks on her neck; she showed no signs of life. She was rushed to the hospital but could not be saved.

According to the police investigation and forensic examination, Liao Yanting engaged in a violent altercation with Ms. Qiu after breaking in. He first stabbed her repeatedly with a knife, inflicting four to five fatal stabs in a short period, including wounds to the chest, abdomen, and vital organs. During the struggle, Chiu Chiao-chi attempted to resist or disarm the knife, during which her neck was strangled by a scout rope or her bare hands, causing her to suffocate. The scene was splattered with blood, indicating a fierce struggle. Liao claimed he originally intended to commit suicide to prove his point and salvage their relationship, and that Chiu tried to stop him, accidentally stabbing her in the struggle. However, after police and prosecutors hacked into his phone, they found substantial incriminating evidence: the day before the incident, Liao searched for keywords such as "murder method" and "murder liability"; in the early hours of the day of the incident, he changed his Facebook profile picture to a dark, faceless photo and changed his relationship status to "widowed," clearly premeditatedly creating the illusion of a suicide pact. After the murder, he even took photos of the body, demonstrating extremely cold-blooded behavior.

Following the investigation, the Taipei District Prosecutors Office indicted Liao Yen-ting on murder charges on July 27, 2018. The prosecution argued that Liao shifted all blame for the breakup onto the victim, his love turning to hatred, leading to a brutal attack that took a young life in just a few minutes. He also attempted to create a false impression to evade criminal responsibility, demonstrating the severity of his actions. The prosecution requested the court to impose a heavy sentence.

The criminal trial was dramatic. In February 2019, the Taipei District Court sentenced Liao Yanting to 15 years imprisonment for murder, deprived him of his civil rights for 7 years, and confiscated the murder weapon. During the trial, Liao repeatedly denied intent to kill, insisting it was an "accident" or a "mishap during a struggle." At his final court hearing, he knelt and kowtowed to Qiu Qiaoqi's parents in court, attempting to secure a lighter sentence. However, the victim's family could not accept this, believing he showed no remorse.

The case was appealed, and the Taiwan High Court reinvestigated the case, concluding that Liao Yanting's actions were not impulsive or a suicide attempt. His prior preparation of tools, searching for information about murder, and changing his Facebook status clearly indicated premeditation. In November 2019, the High Court changed the sentence to life imprisonment, arguing that the case was not a case of youthful impulsiveness and should be severely punished as a warning to others. Liao appealed, but the Supreme Court rejected the appeal in January 2020, finalizing the life imprisonment sentence. In the civil case, Liao was ordered to pay the Qiu family approximately NT$7 million in compensation, and the landlord also successfully sought compensation because the house had been declared a haunted property.

This case exposed the hidden risks of the live-streaming industry: female live-streamers are often stalked or harassed for publicly revealing their lives, highlighting the danger of predatory lovers. Liao Yanting's extreme possessiveness—the "if I can't have it, I'll destroy it" mentality—is frequently seen in love-related murder cases in Taiwan. Qiu Qiaoqi's death has raised awareness among many in the industry, and platforms have called on society to respect life and privacy. The victim's family has been deeply grieving, and Qiu's father repeatedly denounced the murderer as "talking nonsense" in court, refusing to accept a kneeling apology.

More than seven years have passed since the incident, and Qiu Qiaoqi's life remains forever frozen at the age of 26. She once had a bright future, but it was ruined by a wrong relationship and her ex-boyfriend's obsession. Liao Yanting will spend the rest of his life in prison, unable to harm others again. This case serves as a reminder to all young people: when a relationship ends, one should face the breakup with rationality and respect; if you encounter a controlling partner, seek help from family, friends, or professional institutions as soon as possible to avoid tragedy.

Taiwan Society also needs to strengthen emotional education and psychological counseling to prevent similar extreme behaviors of "love turning into hate" from happening again, allowing everyone to pursue love and dreams in a safe environment.