It’s been nearly five years since Hong Wei Yin’s body was found in the trunk of her car, and police still haven’t determined who is responsible for the 33-year-old Burnaby woman’s death.
Yin, originally from China, was a permanent resident of Canada working at a massage parlour in Burnaby and living near Metrotown. In 2006, the young woman moved to Burnaby from Toronto, and police said she had been working in several massage parlours across the Lower Mainlaind.
But on July 12, 2009, Yin let her Burnaby home around 9:30 a.m. and was never heard from again. Police issued a missing persons bulletin for Yin, which included a description of her Toyota Carolla, a few days later.
As the NOW reported at the time, Yin had a flight home to China on July 16 to visit family, but she never made that flight and her family and friends were beginning to worry, describing this behaviour as “very unusual.”
The search for Yin ended tragically on July 29, when Vancouver police discovered her white 2009 Toyota Carolla in the 8300 block of Chester Street, an industrial area of South Vancouver.
According to investigators, the vehicle had not moved for days, and it was distinctive because of the Hello Kitty car accessories inside the vehicle.
A few days later, Vancouver police confirmed, using dental records, that the body in the trunk was in fact Yin.
Today the investigation is ongoing.
Neither the Vancouver Police Department nor the B.C. Coroners Service has released much information on the investigation into Yin’s murder. While an autopsy was conducted, the results of the autopsy were never made public, including cause of death.
According to coroner spokesperson, Barb McLintock, the results of the coroners report won’t be released at this time because “to do so would be to risk hampering ongoing police investigative work.”
When the NOW asked if investigators were close to closing the case, the Vancouver Police Department echoed McLintock’s reasoning, saying they couldn’t share any information related to Yin’s homicide for fear it would impact the investigation.
“These investigations are pretty delicate. So, other than to say it’s ongoing and it hasn’t been solved – no arrests have been made – I wouldn’t be able to say anything more than that,” Const. Brian Montague told the NOW.
Until police announce an arrest or break in the case, the mystery surrounding Yin’s death remains unsolved.
