It looks like the interest I've had in the disappearance of Eva Ho has generated even more interest in the main stream media. I just hope the added focus will help find Eva and her friends.
The National Post was kind enough to email the entire story to me, and I'm reproducing it in its entirety in the hope that somewhere someone will read it and provide some sort of break to investigators. It ran on the front page of Wednesday's paper. Unfortunately, Eva's case seems to be a low priority for police, despite the potential connections to the murder of Philip Sit.
Teen's death, 3 Missing Classmates Puzzle Police
National Post
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Page: A1
Section: News
Byline: Katie Rook
Dateline: TORONTO
Source: National PostTORONTO - Police are investigating a possible connection between the murder of Toronto teenager Philip Sit and the disappearance of three of his classmates.
Mr. Sit's skeletal remains were discovered in a King Township field on Aug. 9 after he had been missing for about 11 months. Five days later, 17-year-old Eve Ho, also known as Yee Wah Ho, went missing with her boyfriend, Jackie Li, 18, and another friend Kevin Lim, 18. Tomorrow marks four months since their disappearance, and Toronto police say they are no further along in determining what may have happened to the trio.
Toronto Police Detective Mike Leone has been investigating Eve's disappearance and said there has been no "signature" of the teenager in financial documents or in online chatrooms, such as MSN, which she is believed to have frequented.
"We're not going around with blinders on either. We know there's a person found in York Region who's obviously deceased and these kids go missing a short time later. After that the investigation is underway," he said. "I can tell you that [police departments are] communicating, but right now there's absolutely no evidence to link [the cases.] So is it suspicious? Of course it is, sure it is, but we need something more."
MYSTERY
Mr. Sit's cause of death has not been released because it is a detail known only to those who are responsible, police said.
The four teenagers went to school together, Det. Leone said, but students at Harbord Collegiate Institute on Harbord Street knew very little of the group.
If Eve were attending classes now, she would be in Grade 10, but classmate Samantha Burns said the girl is not well known.
"The school cares, but it depends who," she said. "Not too many people knew [Eve]. Nobody seems to care. The school is not making a big deal about it."
Eve's mother, Carmen Wu, is frustrated by the apparent malaise surrounding the investigation of her daughter's disappearance.
Ms. Wu believes Eve and boyfriend Jackie have been kidnapped by a "group of men," and said she hopes they are together so Jackie might be able to offer Eve some protection.
Speaking through an interpreter, Qi Tao, Ms. Wu said Eve did not know Philip Sit well and does not believe her daughter's disappearance is connected to that of Mr. Sit.
"I am afraid of thinking bad things," she said.
Police regard Eve as a runaway, Ms. Wu said, and she has not received any update on the investigation since police visited the family's downtown apartment and seized Eve's computer and some letters to friends.
Eve's father lives in China, Ms. Wu said, but Eve would not know how to contact him and is not in possession of her passport.
Ms. Wu's seven-year-old daughter Kelly often asks about Eve and longs for her return, Ms. Wu said.
"I have hope," she said, breaking into tears.
The 43-year-old mother has not slept since her usually conscientious teen failed to meet her midnight curfew on Aug. 14. Eve has not been heard from following a 7:45 p.m. phone call that night to childhood friend Chris Yau saying she was with Jackie.
"Eve is not someone who would just run aw ay," Ms. Yau said. "At first I thought it was, like, a joke. I thought she was just screwing around like everyone else, but after we realized that it's real, she's really missing."
Ms. Yau says she was scared for Eve because of what happened to Philip Sit.
"I think there's a connection because Philip, Jackie and maybe Kevin were best friends too."
Ms. Yau circulated a missing persons poster online, which caught the attention of blogger Steve Janke. Several of Eve's friends have since posted online comments about the missing teenagers.
Jackie Li's mother yesterday said she is very sad, but does not know what has happened to her son and believes it is better not to comment on the investigation.
Mr. Sit's family yesterday refused to comment on the investigation, but neighbours said the teenager, who went missing near the end of September, 2005, lived with relatives following his father's death two years ago.
At least two Toronto Police divisions are investigating the teens' disappearances and communicating with York Region homicide investigators.
"I can tell you that in our investigation and to my knowledge in the other investigations being conducted at these other divisions, we haven't come across any evidence of foul pl ay," Det. Leone said.
"I can't draw conclusions on suspicion and I can't have press conferences saying, 'Hey this is really suspicious.'"
"We've spoken to friends, friends have been very active with us, but I am wondering if we're missing someone else out there."
