Malaysian police have officially upgraded the case of a Taiwanese influencer found dead in a hotel bathtub from a sudden accident to a full murder investigation. When you hear a case moves from “sudden death” to “murder,” you know things got dark fast, and it’s truly awful news for the victim’s family and her huge following.
The initial report was classified as a sudden death, but now authorities are treating the situation very seriously, according to local police chief Datuk Fadil Marsu via People. The victim has been identified as 31-year-old Hsieh Yu-hsin, who was better known online as Iris Hsieh. She was a major figure in the influencer world, boasting a massive 546,000 followers on Instagram.
Iris was discovered deceased around 1:40 PM local time on October 22 inside a hotel room located on Jalan Conlay in Kuala Lumpur. We’ve reported on influencers dying awfully before, but this situation never stops being heartbreaking. The fact that police are now looking into foul play completely changes the narrative of what happened that afternoon.
Deceased influencer may have been murdered
As the investigation quickly ramped up, police identified a key person of interest: 42-year-old Malaysian rapper Namewee, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee. Namewee, who is known for tackling some pretty taboo topics in his music videos and songs within Malaysia, was reportedly the last person seen with Iris Hsieh.
He may have been in the same room as the victim when the incident occurred. That immediately puts him under a huge spotlight, and you can bet investigators are scrutinizing his every move. Things only got more complicated once police started looking into Namewee’s background and movements. This wasn’t a TikTok giving it away like in other cases, but there was suspicious evidence.
The rapper was arrested on October 22, the same day Iris was found, after officers reportedly discovered pills they believed to be ecstasy. This is a terrible look for him, regardless of the murder investigation. Local officer Fadil Marsus confirmed that Namewee tested positive for a handful of illicit substances, including amphetamines, methamphetamine, ketamine, and THC.
He was remanded for two days following the positive tests, but he was later released. Officer Fadil stated that Namewee was released after pleading not guilty to drug-related charges at the Jalan Duta Court on October 24. Even though he’s been released, the positive drug test results are definitely a major part of the ongoing investigation, and you have to wonder what impact that will have on his credibility.
Namewee has since taken to Instagram to deny the drug allegations, insisting that “at most I’ve been drinking more recently.” He also shared his deep sorrow about Iris Hsieh’s passing. Interestingly, the rapper also claimed that the ambulance “was nearly an hour late,” suggesting there may have been issues with the emergency response time. He maintains that “the truth will come out” once the official police report is released, which he estimates should still take two or three months.
The Royal Malaysia Police are currently carrying out a comprehensive investigation, leaving no stone unturned as they attempt to piece together Iris Hsieh’s final movements. Police have recorded statements from numerous individuals, including hotel staff, security guards, and transport operators, even airport personnel.
