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Sui Kam “Tony” Tung, 50, took a series of measures taken to try and avoid being detected for killing Robert Cantor in March 2011, the June indictment alleges. These included torching the house, hiding the gun investigators say he used to shoot and kill Cantor and trying to destroy computer evidence that linked him to the victim, Bergen prosecutors said.
Fourteen months later, prosecutor’s detectives arrested him at his Yorkville apartment in Manhattan in May 2012.
Sui Kam “Tony” Tung in court today (STORY / PHOTOS: Mary K. Miraglia, CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter)
Some of Cantor’s relatives and friends made public demonstrations over their anger at the case not being solved. They even called called for a special prosecutor and said they’d hired a private investigator who fingered a suspect — which didn’t sit well with several law enforcement officers.
They insisted the murder was “an act of jealousy and revenge” by a man who’d confronted Cantor (above, inset) at his home more than once. Although they publicly didn’t identify him by name, all agreed it was Tung, whose estranged wife had been seeing Cantor.
Cantor’s widow, who never challenged the progress of the investigation, thanked those who worked it. So did an attorney for Tung’s estranged wife.
Tung, who is unemployed, began stalking the popular Verizon software engineer after learning of the romantic relationship in 2010, as both couples were being divorced, authorities said.
A few months before the killing, prosecutors said, Tung confronted Cantor, 59, at the Elm Street home where he lived alone.
Tung demanded to know where the two had sex, so Cantor brought him to a bedroom in the basement — where his body was later found, they said.
The night of March 6, 2011, they said, Tung showed up again. After shooting him several times, killing Cantor, Tung set the place on fire, Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli said after the arrest.
A computer repair expert, Tung then erased the hard drives on all of his computers, among other measures, to destroy evidence, authorities said.
He continued to be held on $3 million bail following today’s court appearance.
Presiding Superior Court Judge Liliana DeAvila-Silebi has rejected requests for a bail reduction, citing close family ties that she said Tung has to China — which does not have an extradition treaty with the U.S. — and a brother with criminal associations that would give Tung access to guns and bogus documents.
STORY / PHOTOS: Mary K. Miraglia, CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter
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