Yanfei Bao's disappearance, one year on

By Liu Chen of RNZ

A year after Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao went missing in suspicious circumstances, police remain determined to find her.

The 44-year-old was last seen on 19 July 2023 at a residential property on Trevor Street in Hornby that was listed for sale.

A 53-year-old Chinese national, Tingjun Cao, has been accused of Bao's kidnapping and murder.

Police were appealing for information from the public relating to a tracksuit, sweatshirt and spade, releasing photos of the items after Bao's disappearance.

Cao pleaded not guilty to the charges in September last year, with a trial scheduled for this October.

No trace of the Harcourts agent has ever been found, despite police conducting an extensive air and ground search in several parts of Canterbury.

Detective Inspector Nicola Reeves said the investigation into Bao's disappearance was still "very active", with staff now in the process of finalising evidence ahead of the trial.

"We are determined to do everything we can to find Yanfei," she said. "We know her family are still hurting, and we know being able to recover her might offer them a small amount of peace."

Reeves said police had initially assigned a large team to work on the case, but it had since been whittled down to a core team of eight investigators.

A new investigative lead recently led police to re-establish search activity, both in a previously searched area and a newly identified area, police said in a statement.

Reeves said police had searched Christchurch's Greenpark neighbourhood, specifically MacArtneys Rd, Davidsons Rd and Hudsons Rd, around three weeks ago but didn't find anything relevant to the investigation.

Describing the Greenpark area as being "significant", Reeves said police would continue with their search when new information came in.

"While we can't disclose information about our lead for operational reasons, we can say that new information led us back to some of the locations we have searched before," she said.

"I can take the opportunity to encourage anybody who thinks that they have seen something or know something that we are still very interested in hearing from them."

Without a body, Reeves said police had to prove Bao was dead by producing other evidence.

Police were in regular contact with Bao's family both in New Zealand and China, updating them in terms of the investigation and court process as well as providing additional support.

"The family as a whole is holding up remarkably well under the circumstances, and Yanfei's daughter is surrounded by a lot of family and people who love her," she said. "She's supported by her school and her friends. She's doing pretty well."

Reeves said she believed Bao's family would come to New Zealand for the trial.

"Not being able to find Yanfei to date certainly is at the fore of our minds, and I personally think about that every single day, but we're really determined and motivated to find her and return her to her family," she said.

Bao's partner Paul Gooch said in a statement that she would be remembered as "a larger-than-life personality, embodying unwavering diligence, hard work and an infectious sense of humour that brightened the lives of those around her".

"It has been incredibly challenging for our entire family to cope with the devastating loss of Yanfei; it has changed all our lives irreparably," Gooch said.

"This has been especially heart-wrenching for her maternal relatives, who are struggling and feeling utterly shattered, especially as Yanfei's anniversary draws near."

Gooch said despite challenging circumstances, Bao's daughter had displayed incredible resilience and received "substantial love and support" from family, friends and her school.

"It's truly inspiring to witness her ability to still find reasons to smile and be her authentic self in the midst of such adversity - a testament to her remarkable strength and bravery. Her mother would undoubtedly be deeply proud of her."

He said Bao "took great joy in sharing her captivating stories and wealth of knowledge, generously welcoming guests into her home with love, grace and delectable cuisine".

"Her positive influence reached far and wide, touching the lives of her family, friends and colleagues, illustrating a remarkable devotion to her loved ones," Gooch said.

"We are all yearning for Yanfei to be found, as this would provide us some measure of comfort and peace, allowing us to bid our final farewells and begin the healing process."

Bao's China-based family said in a statement they found it difficult to accept the fact that she had gone.

"Since the incident occurred, we have been in immense grief, feeling helpless while being far away in our home country," the family said. "We can only hope that police will find Yanfei soon and bring peace to her soul."

The family also thanked investigators for their efforts in the case.

Bryan Thomson, managing director at Harcourts, said it would be inappropriate to comment on the case while the investigation was active.

"Our thoughts remain with Yanfei's family, friends and work colleagues through this incredibly difficult time," he said.

Jin Tian, who spoke to Bao on the phone a short time before she went missing, said she constantly thought about her friend.

"Always," she said. "Always."

Tian said Bao was "easy-going, kind, hard-working, intelligent, good at planning for the future and was always able to inspire others".

She said it had been a stressful year for Bao's family.

Tian said hoped justice could be upheld and the truth revealed at the trial, praying that police could find Bao as soon as possible.

She called on the public not to forget Bao's case.

"This is absolutely something big in the Chinese community and it's horrible," she said. "I want everybody remember this for the betterment of the future of the community."

Cao's trial by jury is scheduled for five weeks at Christchurch High Court, with a tentative starting date of 21 October.