Whampoa killer still at large

[Shin Orochi]

Singapore
Home > Breaking News > Singapore > Story
Jan 13, 2010

Whampoa killer still at large

<!-- by line --> By Elena Chong
<!-- end by line -->
<!-- end left side bar -->

Relatives and friends of Mdm Susilah S. Kanapathy, who was found murdered at her flat at Blk 82 Whampoa Drive, mourning at her funeral. Her assailant is still at large. -- ST PHOTO: ASHLEIGH SIM

<!-- story content : start --> TWO-AND-A-HALF years after a widow was found dead at her Whampoa flat, her assailant is still at large. Madam Susilah S. Kanapathy, 59, was found lying in her bedroom in the three-room flat at Block 82 Whampoa Drive which she shared with her sister-in-law on July 20, 2007. Initially, it was thought that she had died of natural causes as she was a diabetic. But later that evening when family members found jewellery missing from the cupboard, police were called again. She died of asphyxia due to strangulation. One of Madam Susilah's earrings was found lying on the floor at a corner of the wardrobe. Jewellery which she had hung on the portrait of her late husband in her bedroom was also gone. In all, more than $20,000 worth of property was missing from the flat. On Wednesday, State Coroner Kessler Soh recorded a verdict of murder by person or persons unknown after an inquiry into her death.

 

[postnew]

Widow's death not natural, but strangled
14 Jan 2010
Source: The New Paper
HOURS after Madam Susilah S Kanapathy’s family members thought she died of natural causes, they discovered jewellery missing from her flat.
Sensing something amiss, they informed the police who rushed to the casket company to check her body.
A forensic pathologist found injuries on the 59-year-old woman which indicated foul play.
An autopsy later showed that Madam Susilah had been strangled.
Yesterday, State Coroner Kessler Soh recorded a verdict of murder in an inquiry into Madam Susilah’s death.
Two and a half years have passed but her killer remains at large. His identity has not been established.
Madam Susilah’s daughter, who wanted to be known only as Mrs Shiva, told The New Paper: “There’s no closure. It’s hard talking about it even after all this while.”
The housewife, 36, was present in court yesterday for the inquiry. She said that her brother, Mr Kulasekaralagoo Ramesh, 41, an engineer working overseas, was unable to attend.
“I came to court hoping there would be answers. But there’s none and we can’t move on,” said Mrs Shiva.
The court heard that Madam Susilah shared a three-room flat in Block 82, Whampoa Drive, with her sister-in-law, Ms Kamachi Karuppiah, 50.
On 20 Jul 2007, at about 6.30am, Madam Susilah told Ms Kamachi that she had difficulty sleeping and wanted to go to the market.
Fifteen minutes later, Ms Kamachi left for work after locking the main door and gate. Madam Susilah was restingon her bed then.
When Ms Kamachi returned at about 7pm, she found the gate locked but the front door ajar.
The door to Madam Susilah’s bedroom was locked from the inside so she used her spare keys to open it.
She found Madam Susilah lying face up on the floor between the bed and the wardrobe.
Madam Susilah’s two children were informed and an ambulance was called. The police were also alerted. Two police officers found no signs of forced entry. Her bedroom was also not ransacked.
The family called a casket company which provided them with the contact details of a doctor.
He arrived at about 9.30pm and certified that Madam Susilahhad died of diabetes.
Her body was taken to the casket company for embalming.
Meanwhile, Mrs Shiva and Ms Kamachi packed Madam Susilah’s belongings to prepare for her funeral.
Mrs Shiva said: “We wanted to pick out my mother’s favourite jewellery for her to wear on her last journey.”
As they were going through her drawers, they discovered some items missing from her jewellery boxes.
Gone, too, was the jewellery which was hanging on the portrait of Madam Susilah’s late husband and a gold chain which she wore around her neck.
Some of Ms Kamachi’s jewellery was also gone.
The court heard that the missing items, which included chains, bangles and earrings, were worth more than $20,000. A set of keys was also missing.
At 10pm, the family called the police who sent officers to the casket company at Block 38, Sin Ming Avenue to “secure the body of the deceased”.
Consultant Forensic Pathologist Dr Lai Siang Hui found bruises on Madam Susilah’s neck and some bruises and cuts on her lips. He later certified that she had died due to strangulation.
Police investigations revealed that between 4pm and 4.30pm that day, Madam Susilah’s next-door neighbour, Madam Alice Teo, had noticed “a dark figure” outside the flat. Madam Teo, 73, said she later heard the sound of the metal gate shutting but could not provide further details.
The police seized 59 items for DNA testing and found some unknown DNA profiles.
Mrs Shiva told The New Paper that after her mother’s funeral, she and her brother had visited Madam Teo to find out more about the mysterious person.
But their efforts proved futile.
Mrs Shiva said she and her brother initially thought their mother had died from an illness as she suffered from hypertension and diabetes.
She said her mother had taken out her jewellery to wear for two weddings she attended on the weekend before she died.
Mrs Shiva said: “She was a simple woman who was not flashy with her jewellery. How could anyone do this to her?”
When their father died in 2001, the siblings asked their mother to live with either of them. But Madam Susilah preferred to live on her own.
Every week, she would stay with Mrs Shiva and her family for three to four days, and occasionally with Mr Ramesh.
Said Mrs Shiva: “I’m very close to her and she spent most of her time with me.
“Much as we would like the assailant to be caught, we do not know how to pursue it further.”
She added that the police had told her that they will continue to follow up on the case.