Oakland police say murder for hire for financial gain

Investigators in Oakland now say the man accused of hiring a gunman to kill his girlfriend, a popular Chinatown dentist, did it for financial gain.

KTVU reports Nelson Chia, 73, stood to gain $1 million dollars after Dr. Lili Xu’s death because he was the trust of her estate.

Chia told authorities prior to committing suicide in jail that Xu had between $12 and $14 million in property, assets and life insurance policies.

Xu was shot while getting out of her car on August 21. Authorities say Xu hired Hasheem Bason to kill Xu in exchange for a large amount of that money.

The SF Times reports that according to the arrest warrant, Chia took control of “numerous financial accounts belonging to Xu,” after the murder.

“Investigators further learned that Chia orchestrated the accounts and trusts so that he would have an income from the estate of Lili Xu for the rest of his life,” the warrant said.

It also revealed that a search warrant of Bason’s house turned up several weapons, including the one that was used to kill Xu.

“Chia and Bason planned the day, time and place of the murder. Bason acquired a vehicle, recruited a driver, and waited to ambush Xu a block from the location of the (massage) appointment. Chia drove Xu to the agreed upon location.”