TORONTO - Death didn't come quickly for Yuan "Tracy" Tian.
Her hands were bound behind her back as her killer -- most likely a man -- repeatedly stabbed the defenceless 31-year-old woman inside her fourth-floor apartment on Talara Dr. on Sept. 2, 2008.
With a slight nod of his head, Toronto homicide Det.-Sgt. Frank Skubic acknowledged Thursday the University of Guelph economics major suffered in her last moments.
"It was a horrific crime scene," he said. "It was a brutal and vicious attack that Tracy had sustained."
He announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer.
Skubic said Tian received a phone call at 4:10 p.m. from a payphone from the main lobby of the Fairview library branch, just north of the mall at Sheppard Ave. and Don Mills Rd., about four kilometres from her home in the Sheppard and Bayview Aves. area.
About 20 minutes later, "an unknown person, possibly Tracy's killer, arrived at the lobby" of the apartment building and was let in by the victim.
"This person has yet to be identified," Skubic said.
He said Tian was "very cautious" about answering her door and there didn't appear to be any signs of forced entry.
Skubic said more than 50 people have been checked and cleared since the murder.
Among them are her boyfriend, who found her body, and seven people -- four men and three women -- who toured her apartment after answering an ad she placed on the Chinese-language website www.51.ca for a roommate in the two-bedroom apartment.
"What we cannot do is eliminate the possibility that this was a random attack," Skubic said. "The motive of the killing remains unclear."
He hasn't ruled out any possible motives, including that the crime could have been sexual in nature.
"What is apparent is that this was likely an unplanned crime of opportunity, where the perpetrator had an ulterior motive but an altercation with Tracy resulted in her being stabbed to death," he said. "The weapon used in this case has not been recovered."
Skubic said it's possible the killer was injured during the attack.
He said Tian was not sexually assaulted and there's no evidence of a robbery. Two unspecified items, however, appeared to be missing but it's unknown if they could be considered trophies taken by the killer.
Skubic said he checked the Canadian-based Violent Crime Linkage System and the American Violent Criminal Apprehension Program for any other similar incidents, but to no avail.
Tian's parents "are devastated" by the murder, he said. They live with their son in Indiana. Anyone who has information is asked to call Skubic at 416-808-7399 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
