Of flies, a foul stench and bones
On Boxing Day last year, 63-year-old Teo Yue Long, whose body was in a late stage of decomposition, was found in a housing unit at Block 100, Toa Payoh Lorong 1. It was the “unbearable foul stench over the past four days” that prompted Teo’s neighbours to make a police report.
The deceased Teo, according to Shin Min Daily News, had been staying alone in his unit since his late mother passed away and had subsequently fallen out with his two younger brothers over the “ownership of the flat”.
Prior to his untimely death, he had registered with Cheng Hong Welfare Service Society’s Afterlife Memorial Service in Jan 2021.
According to Teo’s neighbours, he had not been seen for “several days”.
Shin Min Daily News, 27 December 2021
A 67-year-old lone elderly man, surnamed Chan, was found dead in his rental flat at Block 170, Toa Payoh Lorong 1 on Jan 13 (Thursday).
His neighbour, 82, identified as Lin by Shin Min, had detected a foul stench, similar to that of a decomposing animal carcass, along the corridor on the twelfth floor. He eventually traced the odour to the unit where the body of the 67-year-old man was found – his name was not known to his neighbour and “uncle” was who they knew him to be.
Another neighbour, surnamed Chow, 69, told Shin Min that the smell of brined fish was floating along the corridor for the past one week, and little did he realised that it was the smell of decomposition until police officers were seen cordoning the area closet to the deceased’s unit at about nine in the morning on Jan 13 .
The deceased, reportedly surnamed Chan, had survived a heart bypass operation some time back and had briefly worked as a private hire driver. According to Mr Yip, a neighbour who had previously spoken to Chan, mentioned that he had been jobless in the months leading to his death and remembered him as a “friendly and helpful man”.
Yip was last seen by his neighbours about two weeks ago.
Shin Min Daily News, 14 January 2022
A day later, on Jan 14, another man, 79, was found dead alone in shophouse unit at Block 129, Bedok North Street 2 that had been closed for the past one or two months.
A nearby shop assistant told Shin Min that there has been a foul smell akin to “dead rats” emanating from the unit. The stench grew stronger yesterday [Jan 13], and flies were seen flying around the unit”. Patrons of nearby shop units grew increasingly concerned and the police was alerted to a grim discovery of an elderly man was found motionless – he was pronounced dead on the scene.
The deceased, described by Shin Min, as “tall and built”, kept to himself and was not very forthcoming when greeted by others. On one in the vicinity knows his background. A man visiting him at the said shophouse unit about “two to three months ago”. He was practically “always alone”.
We do not know his name.
Shin Min Daily News, 15 January 2022
We also do now know the name of a set of skeleton found under a bridge in Kallang Bahru on Nov 9, 2020. The dead person, reportedly had been dead for at least six months to a year before his “totally skeletonised remains” with “no remnant organs, flesh or hair” were found by a worker performing scaffolding works under the bridge.
His bones showed brown discolouration. He was not identified. We know not his name. Only a few maggots within his skull remained.
The Straits Times, 15 January 2022
Shin Min Daily News, 15 January 2022
Shin Min Daily News, 10 November 2020
