York University student was stalked by rejected suitor before her death

The York University student found dead in her home after a struggle with an intruder was being stalked by a rejected suitor, says a friend.

The friend's claims were posted and circulated on popular Toronto-based Chinese-language online chat rooms. The friend also said he was interviewed for 12 hours at 31 Division and that he gave police a statement.

The friend, who has not been identified, was at the scene when the landlord opened the door to Qian Liu's room and found her dead, according to Toronto Star.

Police are calling the friend an "online witness" to a concerning series of events. He reportedly saw the woman open her door to a man who then asked to borrow her phone, before physically assaulting her. The man then turned off the woman's laptop computer.

Investigators are currently searching for the missing laptop, an IBM ThinkPad T400. Police say the woman was discovered late Friday morning unclothed from the waist down, CTV.ca reports.