When Qi Yu abruptly hung up on a phone call last Friday, her mother knew something was amiss.

The call to her family in China about 7.15pm was the last time anyone saw or heard from her.

Ms Qi, 28, was reported missing by 9am the next day.

While police are yet to locate her body, they have now charged her 19-year-old male housemate, Shuo Dong, with murder.