A year ago today the lives of Yanfei Bao's family, both in New Zealand and China, changed "irreparably".
On July 19, 2023, the 44-year-old mother and real estate agent was last seen in the Christchurch suburb of Wigram.
A day later, police announced she was missing, and a week after that her disappearance was upgraded to a homicide investigation.
"We are all yearning for Yanfei to be found," her family have said one year after her disappearance. (Source: 1News)
Her body has never been found.
Partner Paul Gooch, in a statement released today, said her disappearance "has changed all our lives irreparably".
Her family in China have also spoken of their "immense grief" and feelings of helplessness while being so far away.
It’s been a year since the Christchurch mother and real estate agent went missing. (Source: 1News)
Detective Inspector Nicola Reeves is leading the investigation into Bao's disappearance and sat down with 1News for the one-year anniversary.
"We obviously conducted a lot of searching in those early months," she said.
The search for Bao's body has been largely focused on Lake Ellesmere, the Halswell River and the Greenpark area, south of Lincoln, about 30 minutes out of Christchurch.
A fresh lead saw further searches carried out about a fortnight ago.
"We have gone back out to that Greenpark area ... we certainly think that that Greenpark area is the most relevant and the most important search area for us," Reeves said, unable to comment further due to operational reasons. She did say nothing new of note was found.
Reeves said the investigation has been "incredibly well supported" by the people of Christchurch and New Zealand.
"If anybody is still holding onto something, no matter how small, even if they think it's irrelevant, then please tell us about that.
"We continue to analyse information that comes into the investigation, and we use that to shape our search activity."
But she said that information must be contained within the investigation.
"I'm continually impressed with the dedication and the motivation of the investigation team and the amazing results we have produced to date," Reeves said.
Tingjun Cao, 53, has pleaded not guilty to Bao's kidnapping and murder and will stand trial later this year.
He was arrested at Christchurch Airport just days after Bao's disappearance, and in mid-August was charged with her murder.
"We are working towards a trial date in late October 2024, it is still an active investigation, there's inquiries happening in the background but we are on track for that trial date," Reeves said.
She said the case still "weighs very heavily" on the minds of those investigating.
"We think about it every single day ... we are very, very determined and committed ... to bringing her home to her family."
Gooch said finding her body would provide some measure of "comfort and peace".
" ...allowing us to bid our final farewells and begin the healing process".
Statement from 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 from 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.
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