Amanda Zhao

Who is Amanda Zhao?

Amanda Zhao Wei was an international student in Vancouver, British Columbia, who was murdered in October 2002. She was reported missing on October 9, 2002. Her body was found in a suitcase by hikers near Stave Lake, British Columbia, on October 20, 2002. Autopsy performed reveals that she was strangled. Before the murder, Zhao was an English student at Coquitlam College in British Columbia.

Her murder was of great interest in the Chinese community in Canada because it exposes the lack of an extradition treaty between China and Canada for crimes in the two countries and the lack of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's authority in retaining suspects within Canadian borders until the investigation of a crime is completed.

The two murder suspects in the case, Li Ang and Zhang Han, were arrested in China in the summer of 2009. Li was convicted in September, 2012 and sentenced to life in prison. Zhang was released and is not scheduled to be tried.