In a somber revelation, a coroner’s court on Monday, August 14, has officially confirmed the identity of a woman who was found dead and decomposing at a HDB flat in Teban Gardens.
Madam Tham Yoke Hing, a 66-year-old who lived a solitary existence within her Housing Board flat, was discovered lifeless in the confines of her kitchen toilet.
Her body was so badly decomposed that the authorities couldn’t identify her via fingerprints or DNA methods.
The Mysterious Discovery
On April 21 of this year, a concerned neighbor residing directly below her observed water seeping from his ceiling. Seeking assistance, he promptly engaged the aid of HDB officers, who in turn attempted to contact Madam Tham. However, it was only on April 23 that her niece, prompted by her uncle’s concern, ventured to the scene.
Upon reaching the fourth-floor flat at 48 Teban Gardens Road, Madam Tham’s niece was met with silence. Knocking on the door yielded no response, and concern deepened.
The police were called in, and it was on that evening that officers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force intervened.
With the family’s permission, they forcibly entered the apartment, revealing the elderly woman’s body in advanced decomposition.
The Unraveling Investigation
Inspector Benjamin Sim, the lead investigator, encountered a grim tableau. The floor was slick and damp, and the once-familiar facial features of Madam Tham had decomposed beyond identification.
There were no indications of foul play, forced entry, or a struggle. Valuables remained undisturbed as well.
The Challenge of Identity
Unearthing answers from the depths of decomposition posed a unique challenge. Attempts to lift thumbprints were thwarted by the decomposed state of the body.
DNA extraction from bone marrow and subsequent profiling failed to provide a match within existing databases.
Astonishingly, it was revealed that Madam Tham’s biological relation to her older brother was nonexistent. A revelation emerged – she had been adopted.
A Desolate Existence
Accounts from neighbors and her niece painted a portrait of solitude. Mdm Tham had been absent from the community for several weeks prior to the discovery of her remains.
The routine sightings of her on her way to the market had ceased, leaving her absence conspicuous. Her flat, which she inhabited alone, was a testament to her reclusive tendencies.
Pieces of a Puzzle
Despite the inability to establish her identity through traditional means, circumstantial evidence interwoven with personal accounts provided a glimpse into Madam Tham’s final days.
The jade bangle and metallic watch adorning her wrist at the time of discovery resonated with descriptions offered by her niece.
A life marred by chronic illnesses, including diabetes, hypertension, and osteoporosis, was concluded to have been claimed by hypertensive heart disease.
A Heartfelt Farewell
In a conclusive ruling, State Coroner Adam Nakhoda ascertained Madam Tham’s demise to be a result of natural causes.
She also didn’t rent her flat out to anyone and didn’t have visitors, and the body that the authorities found in the flat couldn’t have been of another person.
Nakhoda also confirmed that the dead body was of Madam Tham and offered his condolences to her family.