Amber Aiaz, also known as Mei Yi Wu, aged 34, and her 12-year-old daughter, Melissa Fu, disappeared on November 22, 2019. The circumstances surrounding their disappearance remain unclear and, quite frankly, incredibly bizarre.
Amber Aiaz, originally from Dalian, China, worked in a five-star hotel in her hometown after completing high school. There, she met an American Chinese man with the surname Fu, who became the father of her daughter, Melissa. The couple got married and relocated to Chicago, IL, where Melissa was born in 2007. Unfortunately, shortly after Melissa’s birth, her father passed away, with conflicting reports on the cause, citing either cancer or a burst blood vessel.
Faced with the challenges of raising her daughter alone, Amber decided to return to China to seek support from her mother. However, the move was short-lived as Amber encountered difficulties affording Melissa’s education. Due to Melissa’s U.S. birth, she was ineligible for certain Chinese schools, and the cost of international schools was prohibitive. Amber returned to the United States, this time settling in Las Vegas.
In Las Vegas, Amber established a pastry business and also sold seafood to local markets. Although she had a second husband, details about this individual, except for their marriage and subsequent divorce, remain elusive.
In 2017, Amber began dating Cheng Zhang, a 42-year-old Uber driver. Their relationship experienced a brief separation in 2018, reportedly due to Amber having an affair with a man in China. It appears that Amber and her daughter frequently visited China to spend time with family. Despite the temporary separation, Cheng and Amber reconciled, eventually relocating to Irvine, CA, where the events in question unfolded.
Disappearance
Amber had established a customer base in Irvine for her seafood business. On November 22, 2019, she was on her routine trip to and from Las Vegas to pick up seafood for local markets. The choice to travel from the coast to inland Irvine for seafood has sparked debate, considering Las Vegas has a substantial seafood market. However, this has been a point of contention in the investigation.
Normally, Amber would bring her daughter, Melissa, on these trips, but on this particular day, Melissa stayed home. According to Zhang, he was with Melissa in their apartment when, around 4:30 PM, he heard a knock at the door. Upon answering, he found an unfamiliar Chinese man and woman. The woman was holding something, and before Zhang could comprehend the situation, he felt a mist on his face and lost consciousness.
When Zhang regained consciousness, he discovered Amber’s car in its usual spot with groceries in the back, but Melissa was missing. Disturbingly, he noticed a bloody handprint on the kitchen wall and blood on the carpet. In the midst of this unsettling scene, he found a note written in Chinese, assuring him that Amber and Melissa were fine and would return in a few days. However, the note explicitly warned against contacting the police or raising any alarms, stating, “We’re watching you,” and instructing him to clean the apartment.
Zhang, adhering to the instructions in the notes, meticulously cleaned the apartment, replacing the carpet and painting over the bloody handprint on the wall. He contacted Melissa’s school, informing them of her supposed illness as a seventh-grader, and utilized Amber’s WeChat account to maintain communication with her customers. Additionally, he sold all the seafood in Amber’s car, assuring customers that Amber was occupied at home when making deliveries.
Throughout this period, the notes continued to arrive, assuring Zhang that his wife and daughter were fine, instructing him to follow specific actions, and promising their return soon. Despite the demands outlined in the notes, there was no mention of any ransom.
Five days after Amber and Melissa’s disappearance, a new note directed Zhang to leave town for two days. Complying with this instruction, he sought refuge with a relative in Las Vegas. Upon his return, he found a final note, reiterating that Amber and Melissa were fine, emphasizing the importance of continuing to act normal, and instructing him to clean up once more.
On December 2, after Monday passed without any communication from Amber or Melissa, Zhang finally reported the disappearance of his wife and stepdaughter to the police.
Skepticism arose about Zhang’s account, with some speculating that he might be fabricating the story to cover up his involvement in their disappearance—a narrative akin to a Hollywood movie. Law enforcement, initially dubious, took the situation seriously. Zhang underwent extensive interrogations by the police and FBI, conducted through an interpreter, lasting over 40 hours. Remarkably, his story remained consistent throughout the rigorous questioning. Over the course of 44 days, he was subjected to continuous surveillance, revealing no suspicious activities or connections. Even under the scrutiny of FBI behavioral analysts, Zhang’s account held up, and no evidence emerged to discredit his seemingly unbelievable narrative.
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The disappearance of Amber and Melissa presents a perplexing puzzle with intriguing facets. Blood evidence in the apartment revealed that only Amber’s blood was present, raising questions about Melissa’s whereabouts. Amber’s propensity for financial deception, where she habitually portrayed herself as affluent, adds a layer of complexity, suggesting a potential motive involving angered individuals. Reports of Amber feeling followed by a black Cadillac in the days leading to her disappearance heighten the mystery. Meanwhile, Chinese media sheds light on strained relations between Zhang and Amber’s daughter, Melissa, offering a lesser-known dimension to the family dynamics. The convergence of these details paints a multifaceted picture, challenging investigators to piece together the puzzle and uncover the truth behind this unusual and enigmatic case.
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