Human remains found in search for missing mum Ju ‘Kelly’ Zhang
Police searching for missing Epping woman Ju “Kelly” Zhang have found human remains at a suburban Melbourne tip.
Police & Courts
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Police investigating the disappearance of Epping mother Ju “Kelly” Zhang have found human remains at a suburban rubbish tip.
DNA testing will be carried out to confirm whether the remains belong to Ms Zhang, 33, but senior police said last night it was a breakthrough in the case.
Officers working with the missing persons squad were four days into a search of a huge landfill at Wollert, 25km north of the CBD, when they made the find.
The remains were located about 2pm at the Bridge Inn Rd site, believed to be the final destination for household rubbish from bins emptied in previous search areas.
“A crime scene has been established and the scene is currently being examined by investigators from the major crime scene unit,” a Victoria Police spokeswoman said on Friday night.
Police had been helped by staff from a cement company.
Investigators came to the belief several months ago that Ms Zhang may have been dumped in a bin.
They undertook searches in the suburbs of West Heidelberg and Ivanhoe without success, and then focused on where garbos would have taken bins collected in those areas.
Mr Zhang was last seen at her home on Winchester Avenue in Epping about 5.30pm on Monday, February 1. The mother of an eight-year-old boy, she was wearing a pink nightgown and possibly pink slippers when she vanished.
Her boyfriend Joon Seong Tan, 35, has been charged with her murder. He was charged after he was arrested at Melbourne Airport.
The Doncaster plumber and Malaysian national remains on remand.
Assistant Commissioner for Crime Command Bob Hill commended the missing persons squad for its investigation and all other members who were involved in the week’s effort.
“Our members have worked under very difficult and trying conditions to ensure that every avenue of inquiry has been exhausted so we could provide answers to Ju’s family and friends,” Mr Hill said. “We know this has been an incredibly difficult and traumatic time for them. We hope that this will bring the closure they need and Ju can finally be laid to rest.”
Searches for Ms Zhang’s body began earlier this year in Darebin Creek bushland in the Heidelberg West and Alphington areas.
Ms Zhang’s parents arrived in Australia from China several weeks ago, three months after she was last seen alive.
They had been unable to travel to Melbourne earlier due to Covid-19 border restrictions, but are now staying with family in Melbourne.
On Tuesday, Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper of the missing persons squad said Ms Zhang’s parents still had hope she would be found alive.
“They refuse to believe that Ju has passed away,” he said. “They’re in a strange country, they don’t speak English, two weeks quarantine in Sydney, they are now staying with family locally and they are distraught as one would expect.
“They’re just ordinary people in an extraordinary situation. My heart goes out to them.”
Mr Tan remains in custody and is expected to next face Melbourne Magistrates Court in July.
POLICE UNDERTAKE ‘DIFFICULT’ SEARCH
On Tuesday, police began to search the Wollert Waste Management Centre.
Crews in protective bodysuits trawled through small mounds of rubbish throughout the day.
Detective Andrew Stamper, of the missing persons squad, described the search as “extremely dangerous” for the 20 officers involved.
“We are going to undertake what is a highly complex search out here in a very difficult environment,” he said.
“Our ongoing priority is to find Ju and return her to her family.”
Det Stamper said Ms Zhang’s parents had flown to Australia from China but refused to believe she had been killed.
Although there was no specific timeline, police were “hopeful” they would find the body after combing through excavated landfill at the tip.
“This is a massive site but with the assistance of the site operators, we have been able to narrow our area of interest down to a fairly specific area,” Det Stamper said.
“It is still a large area ... we will be here until we have are satisfied we have searched all the areas of interest.”
Police from the search and rescue squad have previously looked for Ms Zhang’s body in West Heidelberg, Alphington and Ivanhoe West.
Police charged Mr Tan with murder after he made several attempts to evade authorities before being nabbed at Melbourne Airport.
At the time of her disappearance, Mr Tan told police she had left home without her eight-year-old son.
But Ms Zhang was known as a loving mother who would never leave her son at home alone or with a non-family member.
Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit the website and make a report at crimestoppersvic.com.au
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