44-Year-Old Man Charged with Murder of Elderly Woman in Sengkang Flat
A 44-year-old man has been charged with the alleged murder of a 79-year-old woman in a Fernvale Road flat. The case, which carries the death penalty if convicted, has shocked residents who reported frequent quarrels and noises coming from the unit.
- Police discovered a 79-year-old woman dead in her Fernvale Road flat on 1 June.
- Her son, 44-year-old Lim Yuen Li, was arrested and charged with murder on 3 June.
- If convicted, Lim faces the death penalty.
- Reports suggest he tried to disguise the death as accidental and contacted a funeral service calmly.
- Neighbours described frequent quarrels and disturbing noises from the unit prior to the incident.
- Lim has been remanded for psychiatric evaluation, with his next court date set for 24 June.
SINGAPORE: A 44-year-old man has been arrested for the alleged murder of a 79-year-old woman at Block 465B Fernvale Road in Sengkang.
Police said they received a call at about 11.50am on 1 June 2025. When officers arrived, the elderly woman was found lying motionless inside the unit and was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
The man, identified as Lim Yuen Li, was arrested at the flat. Preliminary investigations established that he and the deceased were known to each other.
On 3 June, Lim was charged in the State Courts with one count of murder, which carries the death penalty in Singapore. He is alleged to have caused the death of Wang How Khiew between 1.59am and 10.30am on 1 June.
Court documents did not specify the relationship between Lim and the victim. Lim appeared in court via video link, unrepresented. He told the court he intended to apply for a state-assigned lawyer and requested permission to use his mobile phone to settle administrative and financial matters. He also asked to attend the funeral of the deceased.
At the prosecution’s request, the court ordered that Lim be remanded for psychiatric assessment. His next appearance is scheduled for 24 June.
According to Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao, Lim allegedly beat the elderly woman—believed to be his mother—to death with his bare hands before attempting to make the death appear accidental. The report also said Lim calmly contacted a funeral services provider afterward.
Local undertaker Roland Tay told Zaobao that a man identifying himself as “Ling” called him at around 10.30am on 1 June, asking for a doctor to certify a death. Tay said the caller claimed that his mother had fallen and was bleeding. “Based on my decades of experience, in such cases, the police or 995 should definitely be called, so I advised him to do that,” Tay recounted. He later tried to reach the man again but could not, and was subsequently contacted by police for more information.
Neighbours told the media that Lim and the deceased had moved into the unit about a month earlier and were frequently heard arguing. One neighbour reported hearing loud banging sounds from the flat the night before the incident, which intensified into the early hours of the morning. Another resident said similar noises, including knocking and the dragging of furniture, had occurred nightly around 11pm for over a week, repeating every 10 minutes and lasting for about half an hour each time.
Police investigations into the case are ongoing.
