The son of a woman whose remains were found in a suitcase in the Powell River area has been charged with her murder.
Lianjie Guo, 47, disappeared June 7. Her remains were found stuffed in a suitcase on Harwood Island on July 29.
Spokesperson for the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT), Sgt. Jennifer Pound, said police had not released information on the murder until Friday due to concerns it could compromise the investigation. Richmond's Yuan Xi Tang, 25, has been charged with first-degree murder and counselling to commit an indictable offence.
Police believe the suspect was also trying to have his father, Jihui Tang, killed.
Both father and son had participated in the investigation, according to IHIT. Two weeks after Guo's disappearance, Richmond RCMP held a press conference at which an apparently shaken Yuan Xi (Will) Tang told the media, "We have no idea what happened, but we're still waiting for my mom."
He and his father held signs with Guo's picture. "Someone said she left because she wanted to stay here, but I don't believe it. That's not possible. She has no other family and friends here."
Yuan Xi Tang, an only child, came to Canada on a student visa in 2006, and had recently graduated from Sprott-Shaw Degree College in Vancouver.
His parents were visiting him from China. They had been in the city 18 days, but on the day they were supposed to leave, Guo went missing. All her belongings are accounted for except for an umbrella, as it was raining when she left for her walk.
