Body of missing Markham realtor discovered in Parry Sound, Ont.

York Regional Police (YRP) officers have located burned human remains confirmed to be that of a missing real estate agent from Markham, Ont. who disappeared under suspicious circumstances earlier this month.

Yuk-Ying (Anita) Mui, 56, was last seen around 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 9 when she left her home in the Baycliffe Road and Warden Avenue area. She contacted family members at around 11 a.m. that morning and hadn’t been heard from since.

Mui’s white 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE450 SUV was found on Aug. 9 in the Finch Avenue East and Warden Avenue area in Scarborough, Ont.

Investigators focused their search on an isolated area in Stouffville, Ont., east of Markham, where Mui was expected to visit the day she vanished. This prompted York Regional Police officers to deploy “all available resources” to comb the sprawling property.

On Thursday, YRP confirmed that on Aug. 12, burned human remains were discovered in the area of Avro Arrow Road and Hwy. 400 in McDougall in Parry Sound, Ont. A coroner positively identified the deceased woman as Mui.

Her cause of death was not revealed, but the homicide unit has taken over the investigation.

An Instagram account connected to the 56-year-old realtor showed various images of her listings, often including luxury homes and industrial properties in Toronto and across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

3 youths used victim’s credit cards: YRP

Three youths (one from Whitby, Ont. and two from Toronto) who were found to be in possession of Mui’s property, including her credit cards, are connected to the woman’s disappearance and face weapons and fraud charges, YRP said. Investigators believe this to be a targeted incident.

Two of the youths were released on bail. A third remains in custody and is awaiting a hearing.

Police have not laid charges in connection with her death at this time. A YRP spokesperson tells CityNews that the three youths remain persons of interest, and their role in Mui’s disappearance is still being investigated.

On Thursday, Homicide Detective Dave Gill noted that Mui, a real estate agent, was at a property in Stouffville for a showing on Aug. 9, the day that she disappeared. The property is described as farmland, with a house, exterior buildings, and a pond surrounded by extensive green space.

Det. Gill said it’s still unclear why Mui was targeted, but it is not believed to be because of her political views.

Authorities have identified a vehicle of interest as a white 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter cargo van. Investigators believe Mui was transported in a similar vehicle.

YRP is urging anyone who may have seen this van or have dashcam or CCTV video in the area of 3821 Vandorf Sideroad in Stouffville or in Parry Sound between Aug. 9 and Aug. 12 to come forward.