PHOTO: Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao. SUPPLIED
In the High Court trial of 53-year-old Tingjun Cao, charged with the murder of Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao, her partner, Paul Gooch, delivered a heartfelt testimony. Gooch recounted the day Bao went missing on July 19, 2023, and the unsettling moment he realized something was wrong.
After returning home from the gym, Gooch was informed by a neighbor that Bao had not picked up their daughter from afterschool care, leading him to check the house. He noted it was highly unusual for Bao not to come home for lunch, and the absence of her dishes in the dishwasher immediately raised red flags.
Bao, who had been last seen rushing out of the house that morning, was reported missing, and her body was tragically found over a year later on farmland near Christchurch. Gooch became emotional when recounting how Bao typically came home during the day, emphasizing that it was out of character for her to miss lunch at home.
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Cao, a Chinese national, pleaded not guilty to the charges of kidnapping and murder. The defense and prosecution clashed during the trial, with Gooch sternly correcting the defense lawyer’s phrasing about Bao’s disappearance, stating, “Her mother is not missing, she is dead.” Gooch also confirmed his intention for Bao’s daughter, whom he is raising, to continue living with him in New Zealand.
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The trial, which has drawn significant attention, is expected to reveal more details about the case as it unfolds.
SOURCE: RNZ