The coroner’s court heard on Monday (27 February) that an 83-year-old elderly woman, Mdm Chua, who lived alone in a HDB unit in Ghim Moh, was found dead on 30 August last year after she failed to answer the door, according to Lianhe Zaobao.
She was reportedly last seen by her neighbour in June last year, and it was also reported that she had 7 children but now of them paid her a visit since 2019.
Background
The woman’s granddaughter had stopped by her home and knocked on the door for 10 minutes on that day but received no answer.
She then tried to push the door open to see what was happening, knowing that Chua had hearing loss, and she noticed a foul smell and multiple flies coming out of the living room.
She then called the SCDF for help immediately.
SCDF officers entered the flat by force and discovered Chua’s body in an advanced decomposed state between the toilet and the kitchen.
Her face had decomposed so badly that it was almost impossible to identify her, and investigating officers were only able to establish her identity by extracting a portion of her bone marrow and comparing it to her son’s.
Chua had 7 children, all of whom didn’t visit her since 2019, with her relatives saying that she didn’t want them to visit, and only maintained a close relationship with her granddaughter, who visited her on occasion.
She also had a social worker keeping an eye on her, who last visited in April 2022 but also had no one answer the door at the time.
There were no signs of forced entry and there was only one key to Chua’s home, and the police have ruled out the possibility of foul play.
Mdm Chua’s death has been recorded as an open verdict, with the cause of her death unable to be definitively determined due to the advanced decomposition.