AG seeks clues in 30-year-old cold case

SALEM — The New Hampshire Attorney General on Wednesday issued a new plea for help from anyone who might have information related to a 30-year-old unsolved homicide.

Around 9 a.m. on March 30, 1995, a man out searching for his mother-in-law’s hubcap along Hampstead Road found the body of a young Asian man, later identified as Hai Bo "Paul" Lei, 25 or 26, of Boston’s Chinatown.

His body was found between Town Farm Road and Meadow Lane in Salem, The Eagle-Tribune reported at the time.

“He had been shot multiple times, bound, strangled, and his throat cut — an execution-style killing marked by both brutality and precision,” Attorney General John Formella said in a Wednesday statement.

“The evidence at the scene, including ligatures and shell casings from a single firearm, suggested this was anything but random.”

In the days after Lei’s body was found, fingerprints on file with the Massachusetts State Police were used to identify him and tie him to the Boston area. He was quickly tied to Vietnamese and Chinese gang activity in Boston’s Chinatown, where Lei was known to have a criminal record.

Lei’s cause of death was determined by then-Deputy Chief Medical Examiner James Kaplan as multiple gunshot wounds and strangulation.

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There were abrasions on his body when he was found, but he did not appear to be beaten before he was killed. Police said the choking may have occurred before Lei was killed, The Eagle-Tribune reported.

“While advancements in forensic science offer new possibilities, the truth held by those who lived it remains a critical component to solving this case,” Formella said. “During the initial investigation, there were credible indications that people may have withheld information out of fear — fear of retaliation, fear of being associated with illegal gambling or gang activity, or fear of prosecution.”

Questions at the time centered around Lei’s involvement with illegal gambling rings and gambling-related disputes. However, police said residents of Chinatown, well-known for its insularity and inclinations to keep police out of Chinese and Vietnamese affairs, did not provide much information, The Eagle-Tribune reported.

“To those individuals — we are asking you to come forward now — anonymously, if necessary. We believe there are still some people out there who know what happened to Paul, or who heard something in the aftermath that could help,” Formella said. “The passage of time does not erase the need for justice. Even the smallest detail could be the key to finally solving this case.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit tip line at 800-525-5555 or email coldcaseunit@dos.nh.gov.

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