New Zealand - Yanfei Bao, 44, Real Estate Agent - Christchurch, South Island 19 July 2023

[imstilla.grandma]

I thought the photo in your previous post was her daughter as she looked SO very young but guess I was mistaken and it is actually Yanfei (looking very very young!)

Giggles. I thought “oh no, what did I do? I had to relook at her photo to make sure. Everytime I see her picture the first thing I think of is ‘soft’ for some reason. Maybe it’s the lighting used. She is simply photogenic and absolutely breathtaking.

 

[StillDiggin]

The man was remanded in custody and is expected to appear in the Christchurch District Court this morning.

Missing Christchurch real estate agent: Yanfei Bao had recently shown someone through house raided by police

Yanfei Bao was last seen on Wednesday morning.

www.nzherald.co.nz

 

[K_i_w_i]

NZ had brought in anti money laundering legislation which requires real estate agents to obtain particular information about the source of funds and report anonymously if there are any red flags. Summary here for those interested.

I wonder if client was trying to get her involved in laundering and she declined.

 

[StillDiggin]

Missing Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao: Police searching third home in connection with her disappearance
Missing Chch real estate agent: Police search third home; kidnap accused in court
I’m being positive on this one, I really do think there is more than a good chance that Yanfei is alive but held against her will.
MOO.

 

[vls12345]

Missing Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao: Police searching third home in connection with her disappearance
Missing Chch real estate agent: Police search third home; kidnap accused in court
I’m being positive on this one, I really do think there is more than a good chance that Yanfei is alive but held against her will.
MOO.

Home is here/looks like it is set to go to auction Tuesday, July 25:

https://www.realestate.co.nz/42389882/residential/sale/16-trevor-street-hornby?utm_source=mwebshare

Based on article which says, "On Monday morning, Reeves said police were searching a third property on Trevor St, in Hornby. The house is currently listed for sale by Harcourts.

A listing for the home says the owners are “already calling Aussie home so that brings this home to the market”.

“Be the one to enjoy all the hard work that my vendors have completed. Stripped back to the frames post-quake, this home is waiting for you to make memories of your own.”"

From the NZ Herald article:

Missing Christchurch real estate agent: Yanfei Bao had recently shown someone through house raided by police

Yanfei Bao was last seen on Wednesday morning.

www.nzherald.co.nz

16 Trevor Street · 16 Trevor Street, Hornby, Christchurch 8042, New Zealand

Building

maps.app.goo.gl

 

[hazel324]

NZ had brought in anti money laundering legislation which requires real estate agents to obtain particular information about the source of funds and report anonymously if there are any red flags. Summary here for those interested.

I wonder if client was trying to get her involved in laundering and she declined.

I suggested the same yesterday and since then it was said in press that the kidnapping was linked to the proposed $600,000 deal.

Shortly into her real estate career it seems she ran into a Shark and when she stood steadfast in her morals...something happened! moo

cctv + cell activity/towers = you aint gonna get away with it!

 

[hazel324]

Man accused of kidnapping missing real estate appears in court

A 52-year-old Bryndwr resident is set to appear in the Christchurch District Court on Monday before Judge Michael Crosbie.

Court documents allege the man “unlawfully took away Yanfei Bao without her consent with intent to cause her to be confined”.

Distraught husband Paul Gooch this morning spoke to the Herald of his devastation at his wife’s vanishing five days ago.

”It’s just a nightmare,” he said at his Christchurch home in the west of the city.

”It still feels surreal... I still can’t quite believe that this is all unfolding.”

Just an hour before a man was due to appear in court charged with Bao’s kidnapping, Gooch said he remains hopeful for a positive outcome and his wife will come home to him and their young daughter.

”Otherwise, it’s a very dark head space to be in,” he said.

”But it fluctuates for me... it’s unbelievable, to be honest.”

Gooch became emotional when thanking the public, mutual friends, and family during the harrowing ordeal.

”I just want to thank them all so far for their wonderful support, which we really do appreciate,” he said, fighting back tears.

”They have all just been so kind.”

Detective Inspector Nicola Reeves told NZME on Monday police had received “well over” 100 pieces of information from the public. She added police were not ruling out further charges in relation to the man facing the kidnapping charge.

She said police were still treating Bao as a “missing person”.

“We are still trying to locate her.

“The concern continues to grow the longer that we don’t know where she is.”
‘It’s just a nightmare’: Husband of missing real estate agent speaks about ordeal

Asked about a potential motive, Reeves said a big focus of the investigation would be to look into Bao’s background and her activities to “see who she may have crossed paths with... to work out what the motivation might be, it’s too early to say what that is at this stage”.

The houses that were being searched were “places of interest” as a result of inquiries to date.

“Some of this is to rule places in as parts of interest, and sometimes it’s actually to rule places out as locations of interest.”

On Monday morning police could be seen searching a third property on Trevor St, in Hornby. The house is currently listed for sale by Harcourts.

 

[hazel324]

The 52 year old man (with interim name suppression - par for course in NZ) arrested at Christchurch Airport has just appeared in Christchurch District Court. Charged with the kidnapping of Yanfei Bao, he has been remanded in custody to appear on 15 August

 

[kiwi50]

Alleged kidnapper of missing real estate agent appears in court, in front of solemn husband, weeping friends

The man, who has name suppression, did not speak English, and used a Mandarin interpreter during his appearance.

www.stuff.co.nz

 

[K_i_w_i]

This is bizzare. Where is she?

 

[DeDee]

At 11.16am on Wednesday, Bao rang her friend Jin Tian and had a four-minute conversation with her.

Bao did not arrive to pick up her daughter from school. What time was that and what time was she reported as a MP? TIA

My goodness the Police nabbed him just in the nick of time in order to keep him from fleeing the country. No wonder his attorney didn't seek bail. He's a known flight risk.

In court: "The accused man was dressed in a striped rugby shirt and did not speak English. A Mandarin interpreter spoke on his behalf." - Stuff 07/24/23 I recall Yanfie's friend, Jin, stating their conversation was in Mandarin, also.

Yinfei was kidnapped, perhaps, upon arrival at one of the homes on the RE market. Did this mandarin speaking kidnapper pose as one who could buy a home using cash transfer from China? If so, it sounds premeditated. He set her up in order to kill her? He'd seen her in the area the day before, perhaps?

This is the map for 16 Trevor provided by vis12345. Can someone add the Iroquois address, please? Isn't there 3 locations of interest we've learned about? 16 Trevor Street · 16 Trevor Street, Hornby, Christchurch 8042, New Zealand
eta:
On Sunday night, police raided a third property at Trevor St, Hornby, after searching a property at Iroquois Place in Wigram and a house at Bryndwr.

 

[vls12345]

At 11.16am on Wednesday, Bao rang her friend Jin Tian and had a four-minute conversation with her.

Bao did not arrive to pick up her daughter from school. What time was that and what time was she reported as a MP? TIA

My goodness the Police nabbed him just in the nick of time in order to keep him from fleeing the country. No wonder his attorney didn't seek bail. He's a known flight risk.

In court: "The accused man was dressed in a striped rugby shirt and did not speak English. A Mandarin interpreter spoke on his behalf." - Stuff 07/24/23 I recall Yanfie's friend, Jin, stating their conversation was in Mandarin, also.

Yinfei was kidnapped, perhaps, upon arrival at one of the homes on the RE market. Did this mandarin speaking kidnapper pose as one who could buy a home using cash transfer from China? If so, it sounds premeditated. He set her up in order to kill her? He'd seen her in the area the day before, perhaps?

This is the map for 16 Trevor provided by vis12345. Can someone add the Iroquois address, please? Isn't there 3 locations of interest we've learned about? 16 Trevor Street · 16 Trevor Street, Hornby, Christchurch 8042, New Zealand
eta:
On Sunday night, police raided a third property at Trevor St, Hornby, after searching a property at Iroquois Place in Wigram and a house at Bryndwr.

The Wigham address is here:

12 Iroquois Place · 12 Iroquois Place, Wigram, Christchurch 8042, New Zealand

Building

maps.app.goo.gl

Not sure about the Bryndwr address as a street is not listed. The photo showed a house number (14), though.

Her phone was found on the highway iirc, I believe the Southern Motorway, which is to the south of the Wigham address. Hornby is to the NW, Bryndwr to the NE. MOO.

 

[RandyMarsh]

The Wigham address is here:

12 Iroquois Place · 12 Iroquois Place, Wigram, Christchurch 8042, New Zealand

Building

maps.app.goo.gl

Not sure about the Bryndwr address as a street is not listed. The photo showed a house number (14), though.

Her phone was found on the highway iirc, I believe the Southern Motorway, which is to the south of the Wigham address. Hornby is to the NW, Bryndwr to the NE. MOO.

The street name in Bryndwr is Earnslaw Crecsent.

 

[vls12345]

The street name in Bryndwr is Earnslaw Crecsent.

Thank you. Yes, it looks like the photo in the article.

14 Earnslaw Crescent · 14 Earnslaw Crescent, Bryndwr, Christchurch 8053, New Zealand

Building

maps.app.goo.gl

Missing Christchurch real estate agent: Yanfei Bao had recently shown someone through house raided by police

Yanfei Bao was last seen on Wednesday morning.

www.nzherald.co.nz

 

[kiwi50]

Yanief could have been held captive in the house that was for sale, if owner had already gone to live in Australia.

 

[vls12345]

I also noticed that the article now says that Ms. Bao showed the Trevor Street house to someone. (That's the one that is supposed to go to auction on Tuesday.)

"Missing Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao had recently shown someone through a property that is now being searched by police in relation to her disappearance."

and

"The owner of the home told the Herald he had been in Australia for six weeks.

He has been told Bao “showed someone the house”.

As of Sunday evening, Bao was still missing."

Missing Christchurch real estate agent: Yanfei Bao had recently shown someone through house raided by police

Yanfei Bao was last seen on Wednesday morning.

www.nzherald.co.nz

 

[vls12345]

Man accused of kidnapping real estate agent arrested after booking international flight

Yanfei Bao was last seen on Wednesday morning.

www.nzherald.co.nz

"The Herald understands the 52-year-old had booked a one-way international flight. Police arrested him at Christchurch Airport, it’s believed he had no suitcases with him."

 

[hazel324]

At 11.16am on Wednesday, Bao rang her friend Jin Tian and had a four-minute conversation with her.

Bao did not arrive to pick up her daughter from school. What time was that and what time was she reported as a MP? TIA

My goodness the Police nabbed him just in the nick of time in order to keep him from fleeing the country. No wonder his attorney didn't seek bail. He's a known flight risk.

School's out 3pm here in NZ - I read that when Yanfei didn't arrive to pick up daughter, the school's "after school programme" took the girl

I believe it would've been around 5 that husband/friends started to worry after being notified she didn't make school pick up

I'd say they contacted LE pretty soon after liaising with her colleague and she wasn't answering phone, nowhere to be found etc. It was heavily stressed how out of character it was for her to be 'missing'

 

[DeDee]

Man accused of kidnapping real estate agent arrested after booking international flight

Yanfei Bao was last seen on Wednesday morning.

www.nzherald.co.nz

"The Herald understands the 52-year-old had booked a one-way international flight. Police arrested him at Christchurch Airport, it’s believed he had no suitcases with him."

One tidbit tucked into a sentence:
" ... 52-year-old Bryndwr resident ..."

RandyMarsh said:
The street name in Bryndwr is Earnslaw Crecsent.

vis12345 found the image of the house match on maps to be located at 14 Earnslaw Crescent.
Google Maps

The Herald obscures his face; otherwise the accused kidnapper is pictured at link.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/missing-christchurch-real-estate-agent-yanfei-baos-husband-speaks-about-ordeal-as-alleged-kidnapper-appears-in-court/SS3C5JSPSFBMHCDT7IA6AHKEQM/

 

[hazel324]

Car seen with boot and car doors open at house missing real estate agent helped buy

"A car at the centre of the investigation into Yanfei Bao’s disappearance was parked across the drive of her accused kidnapper’s home for two hours with its boot and car doors open, two days after she was last seen.

A neighbour of the Bryndwr, Christchurch, property the 52-year-old accused lives at said the same silver car the police wanted information on was always at the property, but was not there on Wednesday or Thursday.

However, it was parked across the driveway on Friday with the boot and doors open for several hours. It was gone the following day, she said.

On Saturday, the Mitsubishi sedan, registration DPH101, was seized by police, and police called for people to report sightings of it."

So this neighbour reported the car being away from the property where it usually sat all the time

Then thoroughly cleaned and aired out

The LE takes it for forensics