On July 14, 1988, 42-year-old Lisa Lau Tu was last seen in Potomac, Maryland. Her disappearance would unravel a complex story of financial troubles, infidelity, and ultimately, a murder conviction without a body. Lisa, also known by her Chinese name Chuan-Yu Lau, was a financially secure woman of Chinese descent. She stood at 5'4" and weighed 160 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. A one-inch vertical scar was present in the center of her chest, and her ears were pierced.
For a decade, she had been in a common-law marriage with Gregory Mung-Sen Tu, living together in a Potomac home that was solely in her name. This detail would become a significant point in the investigation that followed, as Maryland does not recognize common-law marriages, meaning Gregory would have no legal claim to her property if they separated.
The narrative of Lisa's disappearance, as initially told by her common-law husband, was that he had driven her to the airport for a 5:00 p.m. flight to San Francisco to visit a sick friend. However, investigators soon discovered inconsistencies in his account. The friend in San Francisco was not ill and had not been in contact with Lisa for months. While a plane ticket had been purchased in Lisa's name, her assigned seat on the flight was reportedly empty. Further suspicion arose when it was discovered that some of Lisa's favorite dresses and a suitcase were missing, yet she had left behind personal items she typically traveled with. Days before she vanished, Gregory had withdrawn $44,000 from her son's college fund without her knowledge and deposited it into his own account. It is believed that Lisa discovered this and confronted him about it. Adding to the growing concerns, two days after Lisa was last seen, Gregory paid a garbage collector to dispose of a loveseat from their home, a piece of furniture Lisa often slept on.
The investigation into Lisa Lau Tu's disappearance quickly transitioned into a homicide investigation, with her common-law husband, Gregory Mung-Sen Tu, as the primary suspect. A search of their home revealed a significant amount of Lisa's blood in the basement near where the loveseat had been, with a trail leading to the bathroom and up the stairs, despite attempts to clean the area. In Gregory's car, investigators found a meat cleaver, twine, plastic wrap, and a spot of blood on the dashboard. Following an agreement to take a polygraph test, Gregory fled the area and was later found in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was arrested in September 1988 and charged with his wife's murder. Prosecutors argued that Gregory, facing financial difficulties and troubled by an affair Lisa was having, shot her in their home. Despite the absence of a body, Gregory was convicted of second-degree murder in 1992 and sentenced to prison. Lisa Lau Tu's remains have never been found. The case against Gregory Tu was built on a foundation of circumstantial evidence, including the financial motive, his inconsistent statements, and the forensic evidence found in their home and vehicle. His subsequent flight from Maryland further solidified the prosecution's case. The conviction, secured without the discovery of Lisa's body, highlights the tragic end to her life and the extensive efforts of law enforcement to bring her killer to justice.Last Seen: Jul 14, 1988
