Man’s horror death as 30 nails driven into his skull before he was dumped in river

WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: The man was killed in a brutal attack and his body was hidden for 12 days before being discovered by two kids

A 27-year-old man was savagely murdered after a shocking total of 30 nails were hammered into his skull in a horrific killing which continues to baffle investigators.

In a chilling turn of events, two youngsters aged nine and 14 discovered Chen Liu, who went by Anthony, while canoeing along Georges river in south Sydney in 2008.

Paddling through the mangroves during the evening of November 1, they spotted a severely decomposed corpse wrapped in a carpet and hurried to get help, alerting their parents.

Authorities released a disturbing X-ray of his skull hoping to trace the perpetrator who employed a powerful nail gun to shoot the nails, measuring up to 3.3inches long, into the victim’s head and neck.

Chen had tragically been dead for 12 days when he was discovered bound with electrical cables and an extension lead. His remains had been rolled in a household carpet with the edges securing his body using tightly fastened wires, reports the Mirror.

“In 36 years of investigation, I’ve never come across a murder of this nature using a nail gun. May I say it’s a particularly brutal and vicious murder and we are seeking information from the public so we can bring this inquiry to a conclusion,” the head of the homicide squad, Geoff Beresford, said.

Officers believe Chen was killed then transported to the river in his blue 2005 Range Rover Sport 4WD. However, no arrests were ever made and the weapon remains missing.

Two weeks before the children’s discovery of Chen’s remains, a male friend reported him missing. Beresford revealed 34 nails had penetrated “predominantly into the head area” at extremely close range, discharged from an 85mm nail gun.

“Certainly there were efforts made to perhaps weigh it down if you like, and it was the force of nature, the tides, whereby the body has been discovered on the river bank.”

Officers examined Chen’s acquaintances, but stated there is nothing to indicate any connections to a criminal organisation.

Chen landed in Melbourne on a student visa from China in early 2000 and relocated to Sydney, where he wed briefly before separating, police confirmed.

One Reddit user said: “I’m not really inclined to think this disgusting killer has particular knowledge of brain anatomy. The way the nails look, it could have just been the easiest way to angle the nail gun to his skull if the killer had him restrained face down.

“I’m led to think the killer was someone who may have worked in construction; and acted in haste and rage with the first weapon he had access to – a construction tool.

“No way to know which nails entered first… the victim may have continued struggling initially, and the enraged murderer attacked excessively to make sure his victim could not possibly survive. The materials the body is wrapped in could also be construction / contractor materials that were available to him.

“There seems to be little info or leads about this case. Wherever his vehicle is, the appearance could have been altered or maybe it’s been disposed of in a body of water.”