Update 1:33 p.m.:

Late Friday night, a body was found in a car linked to missing ISU student Tong Shao. The body and car were found in Iowa City, the place where she was last heard from on Sept. 8. 

Marcus Nashelsky, Johnson County medical examiner, began an autopsy early Saturday on the body. Official results will not be released for four to six weeks due to processing the information, said Medical Examiner Investigator Clayton Schuneman. 

In a press release, the Iowa City Police Department said the death is being investigated as a homicide.

Geoff Huff, investigations commander for the Ames Police Department, said Shao’s boyfriend, whom she had been visiting in Iowa City, is now in China, making it difficult to track him down. 

Huff confirmed a text message to Shao’s roommates in Ames was sent Sept. 8 from Shao’s boyfriend’s phone, saying that Shao was messaging from his phone and her phone was broken.

The Iowa City Police Department said Shao’s boyfriend is now a person of interest. 

Update 12:42 a.m.:

Iowa City police officers confirmed a body was found in the car suspected to be linked to a missing ISU student, according to the Iowa City Press-Citizen.

An unidentified body was found in the trunk of a gold Toyota Camry in Iowa City, according to the Press-Citizen.

ISU student Tong Shao, junior in chemical engineering, was last heard from on Sept. 8 when she was in Iowa City. On Friday, Ames Police said Tong had access to a Toyota Camry that was still believed to be in the Iowa City area. 

Original 2:49 p.m.:

Police said an ISU international student who was declared missing Sept. 18 may be in Iowa City.

Tong Shao, 20-year-old junior in chemical engineering who goes by   Shao, was last heard from on Sept. 8 in Iowa City on her way to Minnesota. Tong, originally from China, has not been able to be reached by family or friends since Sept. 8.

Shao’s friends received a message from her saying that she was in Iowa City on Sept. 8, according to a press release by the Ames Police Department. 

Ames Police said they now know she had access to a beige, four-door 1997 Toyota Camry with a Kentucky license plate of 287JDZ that may still be in the Iowa City area. Police are still looking for the car.

Contact the Ames Police at 515-239-5133 with any information.