A year on from Christchurch woman Yanfei Bao's disappearance, Police are still following up new leads and continue to search for her in the hopes of returning her to her family.
Ms Bao disappeared under suspicious circumstances on 19 July, 2023. Following a Police investigation, a then-52-year-old man was arrested and charged with murder.
Detective Inspector Nicola Reeves says while there is currently a lot of work going on to preparing for the upcoming trial, which is set down for October, Police have not given up hope of finding Yanfei and are still pursuing avenues of enquiry.
A new investigative lead recently led Police to re-establish search activity, both in a previously searched area and a newly identified area.
Recent searches saw Police return to the Greenpark area, specifically MacArtneys Road, Davidsons Road and Hudsons Road.
While nothing new of note was found, Detective Inspector Reeves says Police will continue to follow up any information that might help pinpoint her location.
"We are determined to do everything we can to find Yanfei. We know her family are still hurting, and we know being able to recover her might offer them a small amount of peace.
"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.
"We continue to assess any new information and it informs our ongoing search activity."
Detective Inspector Reeves says Yanfei's family are always top of mind for the investigations team.
"I'm so proud of the dedication of the team who have been working tirelessly on this case for a year now.
"I know I personally think about Yanfei every day and I want to find her, and so do the rest of the team. We are in touch with her family regularly and we know how much this would mean to them."
Detective Inspector Reeves says Police still urge the public to share any information they might have.
If you have any information please contact Police via 105, either by calling or going online to https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105 using 'Update Report'.
Please reference file number 230720/5911.
The 53-year-old man charged with Yanfei Bao's murder is next due to appear in the Christchurch High Court on 23 August. His trial is scheduled to begin on 24 October.
STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF YANFEI BAO'S PARTNER, PAUL GOOCH
Our hearts are heavy as we reflect on the vibrant and radiant spirit of Yanfei. She will be best 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.
This has been especially heart-wrenching for her maternal relatives, who are struggling and feeling utterly shattered, especially as Yanfei's anniversary draws near.
Despite facing challenging circumstances, Yanfei's daughter has displayed incredible resilience. Her family, friends, and local school have rallied around her, providing substantial love and support, to help her maintain a sense of normalcy and stability in her life.
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.
Yanfei's magnetic confidence and warm charisma effortlessly drew people towards her, and she 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.
Every decision and action she made was rooted in her deep care for others, and her memory will forever occupy a cherished place in our hearts.
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.
STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF YANFEI BAO'S CHINA-BASED FAMILY
Yanfei has been away from us for a year now.
As her family, we still find it difficult to accept this fact. Since the incident occurred, we have been in immense grief, feeling helpless while being far away in our home country.
We can only hope that the Police will find Yanfei soon and bring peace to her soul.
Thanks to the hard work and relentless efforts of the Police, significant progress has been made in the case, which brings great comfort to our family. We sincerely thank the Police for their dedication to Yanfei and their support for us.
