Police have confirmed that the body found near River Road in East Richmond last Friday is that of Linhai Yu, a Chinese youth who was reported missing on Sept. 11.
“The body was located in the 20000 block of River Road (east of Nelson Road),” RCMP Cpl. Janelle Shoihet told the Richmond News, adding no further details could be provided.
“The cause of death is not considered suspicious at this time. The BC Coroners Services is involved in the investigation,” said the RCMP in a press release.
Yu, a high school student from China attending school in Vancouver, was last seen on the night of Sept. 10 near Bridgeport Station in Richmond.
Yu’s parents flew to Vancouver from China the following day and had been looking for him along with the RCMP and local volunteers.
“We are physically and mentally exhausted now...the family has decided to take Yu back to China,” said Yu’s mother, Mingjie Shen, in a statement to the media Friday night after Yu’s body was found.
Changfu Han, organizer of a volunteer group set up to look for Yu, told the media later that “the parents are currently very grieved…they have expressed their gratitude to the media and volunteers.”
He noted that the parents haven’t informed Yu’s grandparents in China (of his death) worrying they wouldn’t be able to take it.
Yu, 17, came to Vancouver last August from China. He was a Grade 12 student at David Thompson Secondary, according to Yu’s father, Deqing Yu, during a press conference on Sept. 15 in Richmond.
Yu’s roommate recalled that he and Yu got on the Canada Line at Aberdeen Centre on the night of his disappearance, heading to Marine Drive Station, but Yu stormed out of the train just before the doors closed at Bridgeport Station. Contact with Yu was lost since then.
