海角社区官网

The documents show Yang is also charged with indignity to a dead body for allegedly placing Zhang’s body in a trash bin, covering it in manure and disposing of other trash in the bin.

Zhang went missing on July 25 after she didn鈥檛 return home from the Holibalance Wellness Centre in Markham where she worked. Police believe she was abducted there sometime before 11 a.m. that day.

Investigators found evidence indicating Zhang was brutally assaulted during the kidnapping, causing severe injuries that could lead to death.

The suspect allegedly used a white Ford cargo van to transport and dump Zhang鈥檚 body along a stretch of a rural roadway in Kawartha Lakes, about a two-hour drive north of the city. Police found her remains inside a large green bin on July 29, four days after her disappearance.

Yang was arrested within two days of Zhang鈥檚 disappearance. He was initially charged with kidnapping, forcible confinement and aggravated assault. After the coroner identified Zhang鈥檚 remains, the charges were upgraded to second-degree murder and indignity to a dead body.

鈥淲e laid the most appropriate charge based on the evidence that we had at the time,鈥� York Regional Police spokesperson Const. James Dickson said by email Wednesday.

鈥淪ince then, we have continued the investigation and reviewed evidence and formed grounds to upgrade the charge to first-degree murder.”

Under the first-degree murder charge, Yang faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years if convicted.聽

Police have declined to disclose the relationship between the suspect and victim because that is 鈥渆videntiary information鈥� and the case is before the courts, Dickson said.

Yang is expected to appear in court in late December.