Mystery surrounds murder victim

Officials, neighbours say spa never seemed open

The city had numerous complaints about the spa owned and operated by Guang Hua Liu, the woman whose body parts were found in Scarborough and Mississauga.

The city’s Municipal Licensing and Standards division began investigating Forget Me Not, on Eglinton Ave. E. near Midland Ave., after complaints were received in early July. City officials repeatedly visited the spa, finding it locked.

A licensing official finally spoke to Liu by phone several weeks ago. She said her business was closed and up for sale.

City officials found nothing illegal going on, but weren’t the only ones who noticed the spa was always closed.

“I never saw anyone get in or get out,” said Jong Soon Suh, owner of a drycleaning business in the same complex.

She said it’s likely someone was entering the spa because the curtain was sometimes caught in the door.

Liu took over the business in May from another woman of Chinese origin named Mona, who reportedly returned to China, Suh said. City records show the business was owned by Feng Mei Zhang. Suh called her property manager a month ago to ask about the new owner and was told Liu planned on returning to China to follow her husband.

It was unclear how much time Liu spent at the spa. Two months after taking over, she asked for directions to her own shop at a nearby convenience store.

“The vast majority of murders are committed by people known to the victim or familiar with the victim.” GEORGE KOEKKOEK PEEL REGIONAL POLICE HOMICIDE DET. INSP.

Until April, Liu worked at Asia Studios, a body rub parlour at Warden Ave. and Sheppard Ave. E. where she was licensed as a body rub practitioner since Sept. 7, 2010.

Bei-Bei Ni, Asia Studios’ owner, said Liu left to start her own business.

No one answered the door at Liu’s home on Wednesday afternoon.

A next-door neighbour, who identified herself only as Jean, said Liu’s son, who seemed to be in his early 20s, went by the name Danny and liked to dye his hair various colours, most recently blue. On Wednesday afternoon, a young Asian man with blue streaked hair pulled up to Liu’s house in a white car, driven by a young woman. He was halfway out the door when he spotted a pair of reporters and quickly got back inside the car, which drove off.

Some of the single mother’s remains are still missing but police are no longer looking for them. They’ve said her murder is an isolated case.

“If we have an idea where to search, then there will be a further search,” Peel Regional Police homicide Det. Insp. George Koekkoek said. “There’s also the chance they’ve become lodged somewhere we couldn’t reach and that they may surface later.”

Liu’s neighbour Jean was shocked when Liu, who sometimes goes by Heather, was identified as the dismemberment victim. It doesn’t make sense to her.

“Why? Who wanna kill Heather?” she asked, distraught, banging a hand on the door frame. “Who would do this to her?” With files from Nicholas Keung