11.15am: Police have just held a media conference to release more details about the arrest of a man in Malaysia over the alleged murder of Deng Cheng Li in his Baylis Street noodle shop nearly eight years ago.
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Head of the taskforce formed to investigate the murder, Detective Sergeant Dale Holmes, said the man had been a suspect from the early stages of the investigation and had fled overseas shortly after the crime.
Detective Holmes said he could not release the name of the man or reveal certain other aspects of the arrest at this stage because it could compromise the investigation.
The Wagga detective said he could not comment on what links there had been between Mr Deng and his alleged killer.
Mr Deng was found with multiple stab wounds in the back of his shop on September 13, 2006.
The 28-year-old man is facing extradition proceedings in Malaysia and Wagga police are expected to travel there at some point as part of that process.
Police are unable to say how long the extradition might take, or if the man is fighting the process.
Detective Holmes said if the extradition was successful, the man would ultimately be brought back to Wagga for the start of a murder prosecution.
He said Mr Deng's family had been informed of the man's arrest, which happened last Tuesday, and were pleased to hear the news.
10.45PM: That's it for tonight. To recap, a man has been arrested in Malaysia over the stabbing death of Wagga's Deng Cheng Li in 2006.
Mr Deng's body was found in Noodle Paradise, the Baylis Street eatery of which he owned 70 per cent.
A request has been made on behalf of NSW Police to have the 28-year-old man extradited to Australia.
Come back to www.dailyadvertiser.com.au tomorrow for more updates.
10.35PM: The last update printed in The Daily Advertiser on the progress of the murder case appeared in the weekend edition on September 15, 2012.
At the time, police still refused to confirm that they were in fact looking for a man in Malaysia.
"Six years have passed since the body of Deng Cheng Li was found slumped over in his business Noodle Paradise with stab wounds.
A spokeswoman for NSW Police confirmed this week police are still trying to locate a man they wish to speak with.
“The murder status has not changed in the past year,” she said.
“A number of inquiries are continuing as to the location of the man.”
Six months after the murder a friend of Mr Deng’s told The Daily Advertiser police investigations had led Wagga detectives to Malaysia.
Police would not confirm the information and have continued to refuse to reveal information about the investigation claiming if the information became public knowledge it would effectively jeopardise their chances of finding, arresting and prosecuting the killer.
Police do not believe robbery was the motive."
9.45PM: The man arrested in Malaysia is believed to have fled Australia soon after the violent crime, with local police confirming in December 2006 that investigations were continuing in Malaysia.
The extradition is the first major breakthrough in the case in eight years.
Mr Deng’s friends previously spoke to The Daily Advertiser about their grief, praising the efforts of local police.
“We are happy with the way the investigations are going because the police are working very hard to catch the person responsible,” Mr Deng’s friend Peter Lin said at the time.
Strike Force Nuggetty started an investigation with Wagga officers and the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad, which resulted in arrest warrants being issued for the man.
9.30PM: The 28-year-old man arrested in relation to Mr Deng's death has faced a Malaysian court after being arrested on March 11.
The arrest was made "in response to an extradition request made by Australia on behalf of NSW Police", a police statement said.
"Strike Force Nuggetty, comprising officer’s attached to Wagga Wagga Local Area Command, with the assistance of State Crime Command's Homicide Squad, commenced an investigation resulting in arrest warrants being issued for the man."
In the days following the discovery of Mr Deng's body, his friends Peter Lin and George Liang and business partner Linan Lin said they had no clue as to why someone would want to murder Mr Deng.
"Li was a very good man, I don't understand why it would happen to such a good man, he wouldn't have even known many people in Wagga," Mr Lin said.
9.15PM: The body of Deng Cheng Li was discovered on a Wednesday morning in 2006 after staff arrived at Noodle Paradise but found the shop locked tight.
After they were unable to raise anyone inside the eatery, a nearby shopkeeper called police. A locksmith then helped officers gain entry to the shop, where they found the body of the Noodle Paradise manager.
On the day of the discovery, Superintendent Frank Goodyer told The Daily Advertiser that the death was being treated as suspicious.
In the coming days, more details about the gruesome death emerged.
Mr Deng was stabbed to death, and it was reported that he could have been attacked up to 30 hours before his body was found. He also resided in the shop.
He was last seen alive at 9.30pm on Monday, September 11, 2006.
A married father of two - a daughter, 23, and a 10-year-old son - Mr Deng had been a Chinese chef his entire working life and had been in Wagga for between six and eight months.
8.55PM: The mystery over the 2006 stabbing death of Noodle Paradise's manager is one step close to a resolution.
Deng Cheng Li's body was found at the rear of the Baylis Street business in September 2006 and police said he suffered multiple stab wounds.
Mr Deng was 51 when he was killed.
A 28-year-old man was arrested in Malaysia last Tuesday after an extradition request was made on behalf of the NSW police.
It is believed the man responsible for the murder fled Australia soon after the violent crime with local police confirming in December 2006 investigations were continuing in Malaysia.