York Regional Police say they are deploying "all available resources” as they search a parcel of farmland in Stouffville for a missing Markham woman who disappeared under suspicious circumstances on Friday.
Yuk-Ying Anita Mui, a 56-year-old Toronto- area real estate agent, was reported missing on Aug. 9 and homicide detectives are leading an investigation into her whereabouts.
On Tuesday afternoon, days after Mui was last seen, investigators said they are now searching farmland on Vandorf Side Road in Stouffville where Mui was scheduled to visit on Friday.
Speaking to reporters at a command post in the area, Const. Lisa Moskaluk said investigators are still working to piece together a timeline of her whereabouts on Friday.
“We are actively searching any and all leads as they become available and through investigation we have identified this area as one of the locations that Mui was due to visit on Friday,” Moskaluk said.
“As a result, we have deployed all available resources to thoroughly conduct a search for any evidence that Mui was here or to further her whereabouts.”
Mui’s family said they last saw her at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Friday morning when she left her home in the area of Baycliffe Road and Warden Avenue. They spoke to her again just over an hour later, but have not seen or heard from her since, police said.
Mui’s vehicle, a white 2024 Mercedes-Benz SUV, was found on Friday in the area of Finch and Warden avenues in Scarborough.
Police said they are not sure how Mui’s vehicle ended up in Toronto.
"We don’t have anything that would lead us to believe that there is foul play involved at this time," Moskaluk said.
"The very fact that it is out of character for her to not speak to her family… the fact that it has now been five days that she’s been missing is enough to cause concern for her family and for police.
Mui is described as a Chinese woman with shoulder-length black hair and brown eyes. She is about five-foot-six and 130 lbs.
Police could not say whether Mui was scheduled to visit the Stouffville property for work-related reasons.
Moskaluk said members of the K9 unit, marine unit, air support, ground search and rescue, and forensic identification team have all been called in to assist with the search.
“It is a very large area to cover,” she said.
With files from CTV News Toronto’s Abby O’Brien
