In June 2022, a small neighborhood in Bukit Batok was shaken by a tragic incident involving the inexplicable actions of a 15-year-old teenage girl named Ellis Teo. She had reportedly killed her grandfather, 84-year-old Mr. Teo An Nee, before taking her own life by jumping from a nearby block, according to The Straits Times.
Coroner Christopher Goh delivered his findings on the double deaths in court on 29 November, saying that it appeared that nobody else was involved in the death of the elderly Mr Teo apart from the teenager.
Background of the Incident
The grim discovery was made at Block 363, Bukit Batok Street 31, where Mr. Teo An Nee, aged 84, was found with at least seven stab wounds on June 23, 2022.
What followed was even more disturbing; Ellis Teo ascended to the 25th storey of Block 115, Bukit Batok West Avenue 6 and jumped to her death.
The mystery deepened as Investigating Officer Sergeant Quek Jun Cai revealed that there were no witnesses to shed light on what transpired between the grandfather and granddaughter.
Initial Investigation
The lack of closed-circuit television footage inside the flat added perplexity to the case. The only individuals present during the incident were Mr. Teo and Ellis, as her parents were not at home.
The police were faced with the challenge of understanding the events leading up to the tragedy, given the absence of external observations.
Ellis Teo’s diary, recovered by the investigators, became a crucial piece of evidence. Strikingly, the entries did not indicate any ill-intention or hatred towards her grandfather.
Instead, they revealed the struggles Ellis faced while attempting to teach Mr. Teo how to use his phone, highlighting the linguistic barrier as a source of difficulty.
Relationship Between Mr. Teo and Ellis
Diving deeper into the relationship between Mr. Teo and Ellis, the diary entries painted a picture of a challenging but seemingly normal grandfather-granddaughter dynamic.
Ellis expressed loneliness and a desire to end her own life but left investigators puzzled about the reasons behind such thoughts.
The revelation of Ellis Teo’s self-reported mental health issues raised additional questions. While the diary hinted at her emotional struggles, there were no official medical reports confirming her mental health condition. The ambiguity surrounding her mental health added complexity to the investigation.
Day of the Tragedy
On the fateful day, Ellis did not leave her flat before the incident. Camera footage at the block indicated Mr. Teo’s return at around 2.30 pm, with Ellis leaving shortly after 5 pm, wearing a plaster on her left hand.
The emotional distress became evident when she called her mother, telling her that she “won’t be coming home anymore”.
Discovery of the Bodies
The discovery of Mr. Teo and Ellis added another layer of mystery to the case. Ellis was found at the foot of Block 115, while her mother returned home around the same time and found Mr. Teo in the master bedroom, covered in blood with a knife beside him.
However, the woman picked up the purported murder weapon and washed it before putting it away, for reasons undisclosed in court.
Sergeant Quek Jun Cai, the Investigating Officer, presented findings that intensified the enigma surrounding the case. The examination of the knife revealed only Mr. Teo’s DNA, with no trace of Ellis Teo’s DNA, possibly because her mother had washed the knife.
Sgt. Quek clarified that there were no signs of forced entry into the family flat, eliminating the possibility of an outsider’s involvement. The security of the flat on the day of the incident became a focal point, emphasizing the inscrutability of the tragedy within the confines of the family’s residence.
Notably, during the Nov 29 inquiry, family members were absent from the court proceedings.