It's been nearly 12 years since Amanda Zhao was murdered, and her family is still waiting for closure.
The 21-year-old international student from China was living in a north Burnaby basement suite with her boyfriend Ang Li and his cousin Han Zhang, when she went for a walk to a nearby grocery store on Oct. 9, 2002. She never came back.
Eleven days later, Zhao's body was found stuffed in a suitcase near Stave Lake in Mission. Her boyfriend and his cousin were later charged in relation to her murder, but by then it was too late – both had left the country.
Li, who reported Zhao missing, wasn't a suspect in the initial investigation into Zhao's disappearance and eventual homicide. Shortly after her body was found, Li returned to China. It wasn't until Li's cousin was arrested in December 2002 that investigators began suspecting the 18-year-old boyfriend. Police formally charged Li with second-degree murder in May 2003, but because Canada has no extradition treaty with China, Li couldn't be forced to return to stand trial.
Amanda Zhao's family emailed Jenny Kwan, MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant, pleading for information on their daughter's case. It was so moving, Kwan said, she had to help them.
"It was such an incredible cry for help," she said. "They were thousands of miles away, they had language barriers, they had financial barriers, their only daughter was murdered, and they had no ability to find out any information about this."
With help from Mike Farnworth, MLA for Port Coquitlam, Kwan invited the Zhaos to Canada to speak with investigators and government officials overseeing their daughter's case.
In October 2008, the Zhao family travelled to Burnaby. While their visit provided some insight into what happened to their daughter, many questions remained unanswered.
Despite many setbacks, including a media frenzy surrounding the handling of the Zhao case by Burnaby RCMP, Li was charged with second-degree murder in July 2009.
It would be another two years before Li would stand trial for murdering his girlfriend.
In 2012, a Chinese court found Li guilty of killing Zhao and sentenced him to life in prison.
In response, the Zhao family sent a letter to Kwan and a number of Canadian officials thanking them for their work on the case. In the letter, Zhao's parents described the investigation process as a long and painful experience, one that would stay with them forever.
"The road to justice has been long and difficult. During that time, we felt hopeless and despair. Justice was beyond our reach," the letter stated. "It has been 10 years. We thought about our daughter every day. We feel the pain of losing her every moment. Our hearts are bleeding!!! ... Today's verdict finally brings us closure for seeking justice for our daughter."
The court ruling, however, was immediately appealed by Li's family and heard in Chinese court in January 2013. It's been more than a year since Li's appeal was heard and Zhao's family is still waiting for the court's decision.
"The family has had no information about the appeal since that time, so we do not know what the outcome is," Kwan told the NOW. "I've a written a letter to both the Canadian Embassy, the ambassador and then also to three federal ministers – the Minister of Justice, Foreign Affairs and Jason Kenney."
Today, the Zhao family is once again in limbo as they wait for the results of Li's appeal, which was heard more than a year ago, and they worry they may never have closure, Kwan said.
"Myself and Mike (Farnworth) had made a commitment to the family that even after they've left Canadian soil, we won't let this case be forgotten and we will work to make sure that they will have closure and that they'll have an outcome," she said.
Kwan admits the outcome of the appeal may not be what the Zhao family is hoping for, but not knowing is worse.
"I think there's a level of obligation from the federal government here, and our Canadian embassy, in following up to finish the case, to see it to the end," she said. "Before the Zhao family left Canada, one of the commitments that were made, because we had failed the family so badly before this, was that they (the government) would actually keep them informed, and so far they've not heard from anybody."
But according to Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, there is nothing Canada can do until the Chinese courts have finished reviewing Li’s appeal.
“The Government of Canada continues to monitor the case of Amanda Zhao. Our Embassy in Beijing is in regular contact with Chinese authorities about this case. To date, the appeal of the defendant is still under review. We anticipate that the Embassy will be informed when the review is completed,” said Ian Trites, spokesperson for the department, in an email to the NOW.
While the appeal is under review, Trites said the government is not in a position to comment on the case but continues to assist the Zhao family from its embassy in Beijing.
But until that day comes – when the decision is made or announced – Kwan said she will continue to petition the government for answers.
"The family asked me directly to help them, and I said I would," she added.
