The body of a Coquitlam mother of two has been recovered and her estranged husband has been charged with murder in a case police have been investigating for close to two months.
Yating (Lancy) Hu, who was first reported missing in mid-July. Her body was found in a suitcase in the Fraser River near Steveston on Aug. 27.
Her former husband, Zhongming (James) Mou, 35, has been charged with murder and appeared before provincial court Judge David Stone Monday morning.
Wearing blue jeans and a red-sleeved t-shirt, the accused quickly spoke to a duty council lawyer who informed the judge that Mou needed more time to retain his own lawyer.
Mou had been kept at the Burnaby RCMP detachment near where he was arrested over the weekend and was to be moved to the North Fraser Pre-trial Centre in Port Coquitlam until a bail hearing, which has not been set. He will come back before a judge in PoCo next week.
Ruth Leow, who attended church with Hu, said she was happy police were able to lay charges.
"She was a good mom and a very good wife," she said outside the PoCo courthouse. "It was shocking news."
Hu's two children are currently in the care of Mou's parents and the Ministry of Children and Family Development is assessing the situation.
Hu was last seen leaving her Coquitlam home but wasn't reported missing by her husband until two days later.
Police said he originally told them he had last seen her on July 15 when he dropped her off at her home near Metrotown in Burnaby. Cops said he later changed his story, saying he last saw Hu leaving the couple's shared Nash Drive home in Coquitlam at 5:30 a.m. on July 16.
Police found the body several weeks ago but did not release the information to the public, for fear it could hinder the investigation.
Last month, Hu's parents travelled from China to speak to the media in the hopes of finding their daughter. They said Tuesday that with the discovery of the body, they have accomplished what they set out to do and wished to take time to reflect on their positive memories of Hu.
"Knowing what has happened to Lancy has been incredibly difficult for the Hu family but to be able to put her to rest has provided some peace," Sgt. Jennifer Pound of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said in a press release. "They also feel that Canada is a lawful country and believe that justice will prevail and trust that the person responsible will be punished."
