PHOTO: Paul Gooch & Yanfei Bao. SUPPLIED
Yanfei Bao’s Partner Testifies in High-Profile Murder Trial: Emotional Account of Her Final Day
On the second day of the High Court trial, Yanfei Bao‘s partner, Paul Gooch, provided emotional testimony about the day she went missing. Gooch described how he kissed Bao on the forehead before leaving for work on July 19, 2023—the day the Crown alleges she was murdered.
House associated with the alleged murder of Yanfei Bao has been sold
Bao, a real estate agent for Harcourts Grenadier, had mentioned to Gooch that she was excited about meeting a potential client. That client, according to the Crown, was 53-year-old Tingjun Cao, the man now on trial for her murder. Cao has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Gooch testified that he had no contact with Bao throughout that day but messaged her after work, saying, “Hi honey, I’m just heading to Les Mills now, I’ll catch up with you when I get home later.” It wasn’t until after his gym session that he realized something was wrong. He noticed missed calls about Bao’s 9-year-old daughter not being picked up from after-school care.
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“I rushed home to find out what was going on,” Gooch recalled. Upon arrival, his neighbor informed him that Bao’s daughter had been taken to the police station. Concern grew when Gooch checked their dishwasher—a place where Bao typically left her lunch dishes—and found it empty. “It was unusual for her not to come home for lunch,” he said.
With mounting concern, Gooch made sure Bao’s daughter was safe and contacted the police. Despite initial advice from an officer to wait until the morning to report her missing, Gooch insisted on filing a report that night after multiple failed attempts to reach Bao.
Friends joined Gooch at his home as they tried in vain to contact her. Around 10:30 p.m., Gooch officially reported her missing, saying, “I knew something was seriously wrong.”
During cross-examination, defense lawyer Colin Eason mistakenly referred to Bao as “missing.” Gooch corrected him, stating, “Her mother’s not missing, her mother is dead.” Bao’s body was found more than a year later on farmland near Christchurch.
The Crown alleges that Cao buried her body and attempted to conceal his actions. The trial, which is being closely watched across New Zealand, is set to continue with more witnesses and evidence expected to be presented in the coming days.
Stay tuned for ongoing updates on this significant Christchurch murder case.
SOURCE: 1NEWS