Kidnapping of Yanfei Bao

On 19 July 2023, real estate agent Yanfei Bao went missing in Christchurch's Hornby suburb. The New Zealand Police mounted a missing person's search in the Christchurch area. On 24 July, a man was charged with her kidnapping after attempting to flee to China. On 26 July 2023, the Police launched a homicide investigation into Bao's disappearance.

Background
Yanfei Bao had recently joined the real estate company Harcourts as a real estate agent, having a prior background in sales.

Disappearance
Real estate agent Yanfei Bao was last seen in the suburb of Hornby, Christchurch, New Zealand on the morning of 19 July 2023. It has been reported that she was due to show a potential buyer through a property on Trevor Street. Later in the morning she rang her friend Jin Tian and had a four-minute conversation with her. During the conversation, Bao asked Tian how someone she was working with could transfer NZ$600,000 from China to pay cash for a house.

Search and investigation
Bao was reported missing after she failed to collect her daughter from after school care later that day. Her car was found that evening in the suburb of Wigram. Her cellphone was found two days after her disappearance on the Christchurch Southern Motorway, several kilometres away from where she had last been seen.

A 52-year-old man charged of kidnapping Yanfei Bao was arrested at Christchurch Airport after booking a one-way international plane ticket to China on 22 July. On 26 July 2023 the New Zealand Police said that they had launched a homicide investigation into Bao's disappearance.

On 31 July, the Police temporarily suspended their search due to high water levels in the Halswell River and Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora. By that time, Police had received over 200 pieces of information related to Bao's disappearance and searched three properties as part of "Operation Helo." Detective Inspector Nicola Reeves also told the public they were looking for a silver Mitsubishi sedan,  and continued to ask the public for any sightings of one.

On 7 August, Police shifted their search to roads and farmland near Christchurch's Greenpark suburb. On 8 August, Reeves confirmed that Police had recovered more items of interest.

On 6 September, the Police confirmed that they were searching several new areas in Christchurch and Rolleston including Waterholes and Robinsons roads in Rolleston, Spalling Road and Te Kuru Wetland in Halswell, and Haul Road at McLeans Island. Authorities continued to focus on the Halswell River and Greenpark area in October. Police stated “There's brilliant information from the public” and asked for help locating clothing related to the disappearance, and a roughly 1 metre long flat-bottomed spade.

On 19 January 2024, Reeves reiterated that Police were still searching for Bao. She stated that Police were interested in a silver Mitsubishi 380 with the registration DPH101 and sightings in the wider Christchurch area beyond Lake Ellesmere.

On 19 July 2024, Nicola Reeves confirmed that the Police investigation into Bao's disappearance was still "very active" and that staff were in the process of finalising evidence ahead of the trial. She reaffirmed the Police's commitment to recovering Bao's remains in order to provide closure for her family. By July 2024, the police investigation team had been reduced to eight investigators. Reeves confirmed that a new investigative lead had led Police to re-establish search activity in a previously-searched area and a newly identified area. Reeves also confirmed that Police had searched Christchurch's Greenpark neighbourhood about three weeks ago but failed to find anything relevant to their investigation.

Legal proceedings
On 15 August 2023, Police charged the 52 year old man accused of Bao's kidnapping with a single murder charge. Police also confirmed they were seeking information from the public about a tracksuit, top, and spade. That same day, the suspect pleaded not guilty to the murder charge through his lawyer. The accused was remanded into custody until 1 September 2023.

On 1 September 2023, the murder suspect was identified as Tingjun Cao. His lawyer no longer sought interim name suppression. Cao appeared before the Christchurch High Court via audio-visual link. He was remanded in custody, reappearing at the high court by audio-visual 10 November while his lawyer was granted additional time for preparation. Police custody was continued until his next court appearance in December 2023.

A tentative trial date has been set for 24 October 2024. Cao has opted for a jury trial. Without a body, Reeves confirmed that Police would have to prove Bao's death by producing other evidence.

Responses
By 31 July 2023, a Givealittle fundraising page was established by Bao's friend Vani Liu and by the time it had ended in August 2023, over NZ$50,000 was raised to help her immediate family, and relatives from China.