Confession in Canadian Model's Slaying - Updated

(Shanghai, China) After an intense manhunt by area law enforcement agencies led by the Shanghai Public Security Bureau, 18-year-old Chen Jun of Anhui Province was arrested for killing Canadian model Diana Gabrielle O'Brien.

After questioning, Chen reportedly confessed to the murder.

Chen said he followed the model to her apartment, broke in to steal her belongings and -- when she resisted -- killed her in a bloody struggle.

When arrested, Chen had O'Brien's laptop and money in his possession.

With the Olympics due to begin soon, Chinese authorities are very sensitive to public criticism so they spared no resources in searching for the killer of O'Brien. They were quite timely in getting a confession also.


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Canadian Model Found Dead in China
[Previous 7/08/08 post]
(Shanghai, China) The body of a young Canadian model, Diana Gabrielle O'Brien, was found Sunday and Chinese authorities are treating it as a homicide.

O'Brien's body was found Sunday in Shanghai by her roommate, another B.C. model, on the steps outside the apartment building where they lived, according to friends.

O'Brien had been supposed to go to Kunming, Yunnan, a city near the Chinese border with Vietnam, on assignment over the weekend. She left her apartment Saturday, but obviously did not leave Shanghai.

Last month, she left her home on B.C.'s Saltspring Island for a three-month modelling contract in Shanghai with Jh Model Agency, but had recently told friends she wanted to cut things short and return home in two weeks. O'Brien said she was not happy with the type of assignments she was given.

The modelling scene in Shanghai is hot and busy but there seems to be little likelihood that O'Brien could have become deeply immersed in it in the short time she was in the city.

Unlike many countries, it is not all photo-shoot jobs in China. A lot of models are hired for club and restaurant openings or product launches, where they are hired to "decorate" the scene. It is not unusual for them to be sent to "dancing" jobs.

It appears that 22-year-old O'Brien was doing the dancing jobs for Jh Model Agency, a top modeling firm in China. According to Steve Chao of CTV, "She was forced to dance in bars and promote things like whiskey." As of today, Jh Model Agency's website has been shut down.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police informed friends and family of O'Brien's death. Little information has been forthcoming since the notification which is frustrating everyone.

According to this source, there have been no reports of O'Brien's death in Chinese media.

Also: Jawa Report


[Update 3:50 PM]

New information has surfaced.

A 22-year-old B.C. model who was found dead in China earlier this week may have been the victim of a botched break-and-enter, her boyfriend said Tuesday.

"Everything had been stolen from the apartment - all their cameras and laptops," said Joel Berry from the Saltspring Island, B.C., home the two share.

His girlfriend of five years, Diana Gabrielle O'Brien, was found dead in a stairwell of her Shanghai apartment Sunday by her roommate, another B.C. model.

Tip: Rahntwo