Lam Kwok-Wai, also known as The Rainy Night Butcher due to his habit for killing women during rainy nights, is one of Hong Kong’s only two identified serial killers. The Chinese press dubbed him as Sik Mon or Sex Devil. His murder weapon was his bare hands, which he referred to as his “fork”.

Since he was young, life started out miserable for Lam. His biological mother left the family when he was 3 years old. His father was an alcoholic, his new stepmother was miserable and the relationship between him and his siblings were loveless. Together, they lived in a one room flat, in silence. This upbringing had caused Lam to withdraw into himself, telling his psychiatrists in the later years that he felt “a terrible feeling of boredom and emptiness”.

When Lam was 15 of age, he begun hanging out with boys in gangs, begun committing petty crimes, got involved in gang-fights and sometimes when they got bored, they chased and killed dogs. Gambling also became part of the ritual to get rid of boredom. At the age of 18, Lam dabbled with drugs, but it did not appeal to him as much as alcohol did – He became an alcoholic and said he enjoyed getting drunk because “it made me able to wander around aimlessly without feeling bored. I like the way it made me feel retarded”.

Lam’s life of crime started on April 24, 1992.

1) 19 Year Old female – Squeezed her throat with his right hand until blood spots appeared on the eyelids and cheeks. Raped. Awoke in a pool of blood.
2) 2 months later, 32 Year Old waitress – Grabbed from behind with his right hand on her neck. Squeeze so hard until blood seeped out of the veins of her face, eyes and eardrums.
3) 2 months later, 39 Year old female – Raped. Survived.
4) 2 months later, 32 Year old female – Strangled till she passed out. Raped.
5) 1 months later, 32 Year Old female – Raped.
6) 25 days later, 28 Year Old – Raped

Rapes were common in Hong Kong at that point of him and was usually not heavily reported. However, by now, the people of Tuen Mun were in a state of panic. It was clear that a brutal rapist was on the loose, someone who is capable of strangling people until the point of death. Up till the 6th rape, all his victims managed to survive.

7) 50 Year old – Strangled, raped, necrophilia

By now, Lam had progressed on to murder and necrophilia.

Also, by this time, female undercover were stationed in lifts where Lam is known to attack his victims. They will take turns climbing in and out of lifts alone between midnight and 6am while male officers standby on the upper floors. Chief Inspector Wong said that “I have never been so worried about my team” as “Our pathologists believed that Lam’s throat grip could kill within five seconds”. It was a good ten seconds before the lift reached the first floor. This meant that these female undercover stood a good chance of getting murdered.

Despite employing the MIIDASS – Major Incident Investigation and Disaster Support System – Lam was still not found. Those who were previously been convicted of wife battering, assault and sexual offenses were trailed and arrested, BUT, Lam did not fit into a typical rapist profile. He was only 21, living at home and had no previous sexual offenses.

8) April 14, 1993. 22 Year Old – Raped, strangled and brutally beaten to death.
9) 23 Year old – Raped and Murdered

On August 8, 1993, Lam committed his final attack. It was also strangely done.

A 21 year old female was brutally beaten and raped. However, in the midst of it all, Lam stopped his attack and started chatting, followed by sharing a cigarette then asking the victim to be his girlfriend. She said yes in order to appease him. They then arranged a date for the following day. After they parted ways, the victim filed a police report and operations were made to arrest Lam.

While he was in police custody, he showed that “He wanted to be loved”, said Chief Inspector Wong. He also said that he was very lonely and begged for the officers to visit him in jail. Confessions were easily gotten out of him and he confessed to the crimes that he did.

Lam was charged with a total of 18 counts of crime that he committed – 7 robberies, 8 rapes and 3 murders - all before the age of 21. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.