Human remains have been found in the search for a real estate agent who went missing over a year ago.
Yanfei Bao, 44, vanished on July 19 last year.
The Chinese national was last seen in the suburb of Hornby in western Christchurch, New Zealand, at 10am on the day of her disappearance.
Detectives launched a homicide investigation a week after she went missing and later charged 53-year-old Tingjun Cao with her murder. He will stand trial in October.
Now, 11 days after the anniversary of her disappearance, New Zealand police have revealed they have found human remains at a property in Greenpark, around 45 minutes south of Christchurch.
‘While searching private farmland in the Greenpark area this morning, a shallow grave was discovered along the treeline,’ Detective Inspector Nicola Reeves said.
‘The remains cannot immediately be formally identified, and work is now under way to excavate and forensically examine them.
Yanfei Bao (pictured), 44, vanished on July 19 last year. Detectives launched a homicide investigation a week after she went missing and later charged 53-year-old Tingjun Cao with her murder
The Chinese national was last seen in the suburb of Hornby in western Christchurch at 10am on the day of her disappearance (pictured)
‘This news has been shared with Yanfei’s immediate family, and while long hoped for, still comes as a shock.’
Detective Reeves revealed the area had previously been searched but ‘new information’ led investigators back to the property.
‘For operational reasons, we are unable to share the information that led us to search this location,’ she added.
On the day she vanished, Ms Bao had been due to meet a prospective client to show him around a property.
Now, 11 days after the anniversary of her disappearance, New Zealand police have revealed they have found human remains at a property in Greenpark, around 45 minutes south of Christchurch (stock image)
The last contact she made was when she called a friend that morning on the Chinese social media app WeChat, asking how a Chinese buyer who lived in Christchurch could transfer $NZ600,000 ($538,899) from China to buy a house, reported Stuff.
Police later charged 53-year-old Tingjun Cao with her kidnapping and then days later, charged him with her murder.
The kidnapping charge has since been dropped but he will stand trial for her murder in October.
Bao’s husband Paul Gooch said at the time her disappearance had changed their family’s lives ‘irreparably’.
Her daughter Momo had shown ‘incredible resilience’ over the past year, Mr Gooch added.
‘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,’ he said.
‘Her mother would undoubtedly be deeply proud of her.’
