Lam Kor-wam

Overview

Lam Kor-wan (Traditional Chinese 林過雲, born 1955) was one of Hong Kong's two known serial killers. Another was Lam Kwok-wai.

The offences

Lam, who worked as a taxi driver, would pick up female passengers, strangle them with electrical wire, take them to his family home, and dismember them.

His English moniker, "The Jars Murderer", was coined when the police revealed that he had hoarded sexual organs in tupperware containers in his Tsim Sha Tsui bedroom on Kwei Chau Street.

He was a keen photographer and frequently took pictures and video of his victims. At least once, he filmed himself performing an act of necrophilia.

The Chinese press nicknamed him "The Rainy Night Butcher" (Traditional Chinese 雨夜屠夫) because several of his attacks occurred during inclement weather.

Lam shared his bedroom with his brother, who was unaware of his activities. Lam worked the nightshift, so he was able to dismember victims at home during the daytime without his immediate family finding out.

The bodies were disposed of via his taxi in the New Territories and on Hong Kong Island.

Investigation

The police revealed that he had hoarded sexual organs in tupperware containers in his Tsim Sha Tsui bedroom on Kwei Chau Street.

Lam attempted to develop photographs of one of his dismembered victims at a Hong Kong Kodak shop.

The shop manager in Tsim Sha Tsui tipped off the police and they were waiting for him when he returned to pick up the photos.

Arrest and imprisonment

Lam was arrested by plain clothes officers on August 17, 1982.

He had attempted to develop photographs of one of his dismembered victims at a Hong Kong Kodak shop.

Trial

On April 8, 1983, Lam was found guilty of four counts of murder and sentenced to death by hanging.

Sentencing

Lam was sentenced to death on April 8, 1983, and later had his sentence commuted to life imprisonment in 1984.

Appeals

Lam's sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 1984.

Outcome

He is still imprisoned to date.

Victims

Chan Fung-lan, female, age 22 — body found in the Shing Mun River, New Territories.

Unidentified female, age 31 — body found in Tai Hang Road, Hong Kong Island.

Leung Sau-wan, female, age unknown — body found near Tai Hang Road, Hong Kong Island.

Leung Wai-sum, female, age 17 — body found in Tai Hang Road, Hong Kong Island.

Aftermath and popular culture

Lam Kor-wan is portrayed by Hong Kong actor Simon Yam in the movie Doctor Lamb (1992).

Lam was later portrayed by Lawrence Ng in a more fictional light in the 1994 film The Underground Banker in which Lam, now released from prison is a reformed Buddhist who is friendly and helpful to his neighbour and only returns to his psychotic killing state to help his neighbour take revenge on Triads who raped, murdered or maimed most of his family.

The 1999 film Trust me U Die is sometimes known by the alternate title The New Dr. Lamb, but has no connection to Lam Kor-Wan or the previous film except that both star Simon Yam.