As more information is reported surrounding a Chinese man held in Hong Kong for allegedly killing his two nephews in Los Angeles, the local Chinese community expressed outrage and wants swift justice.

Shi Deyun, 44, is accused of killing two of his nephews in their home in Arcadia, California, on Jan 22 before boarding a Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong the next day. He was arrested by Hong Kong police at the airport.

Shi made his first appearance at a Hong Kong court on Tuesday, where he denied the allegations against him and said he wanted to "go back (to the US) as soon as possible", according to the South China Morning Post. He also requested to be set free on bail, which was denied.

"How shameless he (Shi) is to request bail after slaying two boys!" said an Internet user named "Morning Sunlight" in a comment to an article posted Tuesday at a US-based Chinese news website. The article has been viewed more than 16,000 times.

"Such a crime will be punished by death for sure in China. But in the US, the suspect may get away with a life sentence. Even if he ends up with a death sentence, it would take years' time, and it means a waste of taxpayers' money," said another Internet user under the name "wd01702".

Many members of the Chinese community agreed that Shi should be brought to justice on the Chinese mainland.

"As the old saying has it: A murderer must pay with his life; a debtor must pay his debt. It's reasonable enough," said a Chinese mother living in the Bay Area, who asked to be identified only by her last name Wang. "Since he is a Chinese national, he should stand trial in China, where the court system moves faster than in the US."

Among those demanding a death sentence is the two slain brothers' father. He told World Journal, a Chinese-language newspaper, that it was a premeditated murder and he hoped Shi could be sentenced to death, whether in China or in the US.

He said he saw Shi's car, without a license plate, parked near their home in the small hours of Jan 22 and that Shi had transferred all his money to China before he committed the crime.

The victims, Anthony Lin and William Lin, were both students at Arcadia High School. Their funeral is scheduled for Jan 30.

The brothers' father is the brother of Shi's wife, Lin Yujing. The couple, with their two children, ages 15 and 8, arrived in the US in 2014 on a business visa and lived in La Caada Flintridge, according to the unnamed father.

Lin filed a temporary restraining order against Shi on Dec 31 last year. On Jan 21, Shi learned of Lin's divorce plan at a court hearing in Pasadena. An angry Shi attacked his wife in their home on Jan 21 and killed the brothers in their Arcadia home the next day.

The victim's father also confirmed with media that Shi, a former resident of Shenzhen, China, moved to California in 2014 to avoid arrest for bribery allegations.

According to Chinese media reports, Shi had been under investigation by the Shenzhen municipal discipline inspection commission since May 2013, in the alleged bribing of government officials and school principals in exchange for the awarding of contracts.

Shi told the court in Hong Kong that the school-supplies company jointly owned by him and his wife in the US was worth $20 million to $30 million, in an attempt to convince the judge that he could post a high amount of bail money and justify his assertion that he didn't flee the US but came to handle business matters in Shenzhen.

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com