Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao’s funeral service 16 months after death; trial ongoing

An emotional funeral service for murdered Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao has been held today while a trial for the man accused of killing her continues.

Around 70 people, including her father and partner, have gathered in Christchurch this morning to pay their respects to mother-of-one Bao who was last seen alive on July 19 last year, when she arrived at a $650,000 three-bedroom house on Trevor St in the suburb of Hornby, set to show a potential buyer through.

A week later, her disappearance was upgraded to a homicide investigation.

Tingjun Cao, 53, was later arrested and charged with killing 44-year-old Bao and dumping her body in a shallow grave on farmland on the southern outskirts of the city.

Yanfei Bao has been farewelled in Christchurch today.

Cao has pleaded not guilty to murder and is standing trial at the High Court in Christchurch.

His lawyers – who he has since sacked and is now representing himself – earlier told the jury that the case was far from simple, and the evidence could not sustain a guilty verdict in any way.

Family of Bao travelled from China during the trial to witness proceedings.

But today, as the trial enters its fifth week, a public memorial service to commemorate Bao’s life is being held at Our Lady of Victories church in Sockburn, Christchurch.

Her father, Bailin Bao, gave a eulogy at today’s service, saying her death had plunged the family into “excessive sadness”.

“From the beginning until now, we have been unable to accept this cruel reality,” he said, weeping as he spoke.

He remembered his daughter as intelligent, brave, kind, and ambitious.

“All these brought to me and to your mother consolation and pride,” he said.

An obituary posted in the local newspaper today said today’s funeral service had been arranged “for our beloved Yanfei, so cruelly taken from us”.

“Her perpetual light shines forever in our hearts,” it says.

“The memories of you will never fade. Farewell Yanfei, farewell.”

About 70 people have gathered at Our Lady of Victories church in Sockburn, Christchurch. Photo / Emily Ansell

Her partner, Paul Gooch today spoke about Bao’s fierce determination and heart of gold, adding she treated everyone as family.

”Yanfei had a magical quality for making the mundane feel extraordinary,“ he said.

”I often think about the little things, the unique quirks and idiosyncrasies that made Yanfei who she was.

”Even if it’s disheartening, I find solace in the memories we made.

”Yes, we will miss her physically, but let us not forget her laughter, spirit, and love in our lives.”

Gooch earlier told the trial of his mounting fear as he discovered she never came home from work that day, something that was “completely out of character”.

Laboratory technician Gooch, who brought a small blue cuddly toy into the witness box with him, spoke about how July 19 last year unfolded.

Gooch, who was in a relationship with Yanfei for five years, kissed her forehead as she was still sleeping before he left for work on his motorbike, about 7.45am.

They didn’t communicate during the day, with Gooch saying they were both busy professional people.

After work, about 4.30pm, Gooch texted Bao to say he was heading to a central city gym: ‘Hi honey, I’m just heading to Les Mills now. I will catch up with you when I get home later’.

Bao had the car and would normally pick up her 9-year-old daughter from an after-school programme about 5.30pm.

But after gym, and looking at his phone for the first time as he stopped for Chinese takeaways, he found several missed calls from the after-school programme staff to say Bao had not picked up the child.

When he got home, he found a neighbour in his driveway.

“I obviously knew something was going on,” Gooch told the court.

The neighbour said after-school programme people had visited the house and found nobody home. The girl had been taken to Christchurch Central police station and the neighbour offered to drive Gooch there.

At the police station, Gooch made sure the girl was okay and spoke to a police officer and said he had grave concerns for Bao, saying her disappearance was “completely out of character”.

He told the jury that Bao had “never ... never disappeared the whole time I knew her, ever”.

As they drove home, he tried ringing her phones several times again and although they rang out, they were not answered. He said he was continually getting more and more concerned.

He also phoned friends but they hadn’t heard from her either.

By about 10.30pm, he decided not to wait until the morning to officially report her missing as he knew there was “something seriously wrong”.

Emily Ansell is a Christchurch-based Newstalk ZB Multimedia Journalist, with a focus on court, local health and social issues - along with general news.