A therapist who decapitated her Christian friend and transported her body 200 miles to dump it in woodland has been jailed.
Jemma Mitchell was found guilty of murdering 67-year-old Mee Kuen Chong at the Old Bailey on Thursday.
The 38-year-old, who the prosecution said was motivated by money, killed Ms Chong in London in June 2021 and deposited the body in Devon.
Gruesome pictures released following the sentencing showed an open suitcase, allegedly used by Mitchell to transport the body to Devon before disposing of it near Salcombe.
During the trial, the prosecution revealed a fake will was found at her house, leaving the bulk of Ms Chong’s estate to her.
Jurors were told she came up with the plan to kill Ms Chong, who was known as Deborah, after she backed out of giving her £200,000 to pay for repairs to Mitchell’s £4 million dilapidated family home.
The trained osteopath, who boasted online of her award-winning skill in human dissection, had denied having anything to do with Ms Chong’s death but declined to give evidence at her trial.
It was claimed on her behalf that the prosecution had failed to prove that she was involved or that Ms Chong was even murdered as a post-mortem examination found the cause of death was “unascertained”.
However, a pathologist said her skull fractures could have been caused by being pushed onto a protruding surface or being hit with a weapon, although none was ever recovered.
Multiple rib fractures could have been caused by Ms Chong being stuffed inside a suitcase Mitchell was seen wheeling away or during resuscitation attempts, jurors heard.
A jury at the Old Bailey deliberated for seven hours to find Mitchell guilty of murder.
Standing in the dock, Mitchell appeared impassive and closed her eyes briefly as the verdict was delivered. She was remanded into custody to be sentenced on Friday.
Detective Chief Inspector Jim Eastwood, who led the investigation, described it as a “truly despicable crime”.
He said: “The motivation for Jemma Mitchell’s actions was money and she showed a significant degree of planning and calculation as she attempted to cover up her horrific actions. The cold facts of this case are shocking.”
During the trial, jurors viewed CCTV footage of Mitchell arriving at Ms Chong’s home carrying a large blue suitcase, allegedly containing her murder kit, on the morning of June 11 last year.
Devout Christian Kuen Chong was found with a bible quote in her top pocket
More than four hours later, she emerged from the property in Wembley, north-west London, with the suitcase appearing bulkier and heavier.
The prosecution said CCTV appeared to show Mitchell struggling to carry the unwieldy suitcase because it contained a body.
She also had with her a smaller bag full of Ms Chong’s financial documents, which were later recovered from Mitchell’s home.
After the victim’s lodger reported her missing, Mitchell claimed she had gone to visit family friends “somewhere close to the ocean” as she was feeling “depressed”.
Jemma Mitchell decapitated her friend before transporting the body 200 miles from London to Devon
Jemma Mitchell, 38, entering a service station shop near Bristol
