In the Philippines, the Chinese million-dollar internet celebrity “Athena” (real name Kong Limei, TikTok account “AthenaLiya”), who has been missing for 3 years, has recently become the focus of online attention once again. On August 10, several mainland media outlets reported that she had been murdered, with the mastermind being Liu Hanwen, who was extradited back to China on July 20. On August 11, Kong Limei’s mother stated that her daughter is still missing. Furthermore, there has been no public release of information and details by the authorities.
According to reports from “Overview News” on August 11, in the morning, journalists contacted Kong Limei’s mother, Ms. Yuan. She expressed that she has not received any information about her daughter being murdered, emphasizing that her daughter is still missing and that she has not received any communication in the past 3 years. Ms. Yuan mentioned that despite living in agony due to her daughter’s disappearance, she has refrained from speaking out due to limited knowledge and understanding of how to address the situation.
On the evening of August 10, Mr. Wang, who claims to be a friend of Kong Limei, informed reporters that he has been assisting Ms. Yuan in dealing with the case of Kong Limei’s disappearance for the past 3 years. He highlighted that many circulating online messages contain inaccurate information. Contrary to the speculations, Kong Limei was born in 1994, not 1995, and is not from Jieyang, Guangdong.
Mr. Wang revealed that based on flight ticket information, Kong Limei traveled to Manila, Philippines on June 16, 2023. Subsequently, her family received a call from Kong Limei requesting financial assistance, citing a lack of funds. During the call, Kong Limei never mentioned being kidnapped. After transferring 800,000 yuan to Kong Limei’s account, they were unable to contact her further. The claim circulating online about transferring 5.4 million yuan is also false.
According to Mr. Wang’s understanding, Kong Limei was indeed deceived into going abroad by a female friend named Li under the pretext of accompanying her to relax, whom he did not know and whom Kong Limei met online. Following Kong Limei’s disappearance, her family reported the case to the Shenzhen police.
On August 10, an abundance of messages regarding the murder of “Athena” emerged online, leaving Mr. Wang greatly surprised as they had not received any such information.
Mr. Wang mentioned that similar news had been circulating online in July, but it was not until August 10 that a significant amount of related reports inundated the internet. As the reports mentioned Ningbo Public Security, he contacted them, and they clarified that the victim was referred to as “the injured party” rather than stating that “Athena” had been murdered.
According to a report by “Red Star News” on August 11, a source from Ningbo police disclosed that the series of cases involving Liu Hanwen and the kidnapping case of internet celebrity “AthenaLiya” were not handled by Ningbo Public Security. The screenshotted information cited by the media indicates that the victim “AthenaLiya” was mentioned in a promotional video released by Ningbo Public Security on August 16, 2023, in collaboration with internet celebrity “Ranch Tea Brother.” The Ningbo police did not confirm that “AthenaLiya” had indeed been killed.
On August 10 and 11, following inquiries by journalists from “Red Star News,” it was found that there is currently no public release of information or details by the authorities regarding the alleged murder of “Athena.”
The report stated that on August 11, when journalists contacted the Jieyang City Committee Propaganda Department in Guangdong Province, the staff acknowledged the online information stating that “Athena” is from Jieyang, but they have not yet obtained specific details and will verify with the public security authorities. Personnel from the Jieyang City Public Security Bureau mentioned that they have not received any information indicating that “Athena” is from Jieyang or any related feedback.
According to a report by “Chao News” on August 23, internet celebrity “AthenaLiya” was suspected of being deceived by her best friend to Southeast Asia where she was kidnapped and assaulted, with related videos circulating online. After some netizens claimed that she was from Jieyang, Guangdong, a large number of internet users flooded the Chaozhou Chamber of Commerce comment section seeking rescue.
The report included a screenshot of a suspected WeChat conversation between “AthenaLiya” and her best friend Li. The chat mainly discussed confirming a flight and the clothing needed for beach photoshoots. The conversation showed a timestamp of early morning on June 7. After flying to Manila as scheduled, “AthenaLiya” disappeared, as Li stood her up.