The morning Cissy Chen went missing she allegedly told a close friend that if she died her partner of eight years would be the killer.
Yesterday in the High Court at Auckland the jury acquitted that man, Yun Qing "Jack" Liu, never having heard that evidence.
Midway through the seven-week trial Justice Sarah Katz ruled "with some reluctance" the testimony of Ms Chen's friend Cindy Chin would be too prejudicial.
Throughout the trial the Crown attempted to paint the picture of a relationship in turmoil, characterised by the victim planning to cut the 58-year-old Mr Liu out of her will in favour of her family in China.
Prosecutor Brian Dickey said the defendant uncovered his partner's plans on the day she went missing - allegedly a clear motive for murder.
He argued during an admissibility hearing to include the friend's evidence that Ms Chen's words on the morning of her disappearance were "the sharpest, best and most contemporaneous" evidence of the state of a relationship, which he said was unstable and becoming dangerous.
On the morning of November 5, 2012, Chen, a former North Shore accountant, called her friend and ex-workmate Ms Chin to discuss finding a lawyer to help her with her will.
The woman said it was a good idea and spontaneously gave the example of Mr Liu poisoning her.
Less than 12 hours later Mr Liu called the police to tell them his wife was missing after she had gone for a walk to Long Bay.
She was not seen again until 16 months later when her remains were found in a reserve 11km away from the couple's property. NZME