The kidnapping might have been related to a bad business deal. Liao had been working with a debt collector named “David” (later identified as Peicheng Shen) to collect money. He met with David several times, even bringing a friend for safety, before being taken.

The next day, Liao’s father in China received a photo of his bound and blindfolded son on WeChat, followed by a ransom demand of $2 million. Liao’s father heard his son’s voice on the phone pleading for help. The kidnapper claimed Liao had caused him financial ruin. The ransom was not paid.

Police eventually arrested two suspects: Peicheng Shen (“David”) and Guangyao Yang. They believe Shen and Yang held Liao captive in a Corona, California house, and that Liao died during the kidnapping. They then disposed of his body in the Mojave Desert and had the closet in the house re-carpeted. Yang even searched online for how long a body takes to decompose.

Yang fled to China, where he was arrested. Shen’s location is unknown, but he’s also believed to be in China. Both men were charged with kidnapping, attempted extortion, and other crimes. Liao’s case is considered a homicide.