Man in body-parts murder case charged

A SINGAPORE man was charged in court yesterday with the murder of a Chinese woman whose body was found cut into pieces and hidden in two boxes on a riverbank. 

Factory supervisor Leong Siew Chor, 50, was charged with killing Chinese citizen Liu Hong Mei, 22, court officials said. Police had earlier said the two had worked together. 

The 50-year-old had turned up for his night shift as usual at the Kallang semiconductor factory, at 7pm on Thursday. 

About an hour later, police came by. This is the man they believe was responsible for the gruesome murder of a woman whose body parts were found in the Kallang River earlier that day. 

The man, who is married with three children, was her supervisor. Liu came to Singapore to work two years ago. 

Her upper and lower torsos were found wrapped in green plastic bags in cardboard boxes. The Kallang River yielded up the two boxes – but nothing else. 

As police and coast guard combed the surrounding land and sea for the rest of her body, forensic experts were busy trying to identify the petite and fair young woman. 

They did so by comparing her fingerprints with those in the database for foreign workers on work permits. 

Colleagues at Agere Systems said she had not turned up for work from Tuesday, and had lodged a missing persons report with the police. 

A colleague who declined to be named said it was well-known the pair were close. 

Police took the slim, bespectacled man away for questioning after searching his locker and checking the bags of everyone working there. 

They also went to his four-room flat where they found green plastic bags. He was arrested at 6am on Friday. 

Forensics experts removed from the ninth-floor apartment a blue bicycle, with its front basket wrapped up in brown paper. Several other items were taken, including what looked like buckets. 

As the slightly balding suspect was led out of the flat, one officer also removed a computer from his home. 

Officers later turned their attention to the lift, photographing parts of the door and taking swabs of what appeared to be a stain. 

This wasn't the first time Criminal Investigation Department officers were at the flat. They were there too on Thursday night and again on Friday morning when they found and took away some green plastic bags. 

The neighbours said the man was a reticent and loving family man who takes his wife on his bicycle to do grocery shopping. 

Police declined to say more about the case, other than that they had contacted Liu's family in Chao Yang in China. She is also said to have a sister working in Singapore. 

Police believe the murder took place on Wednesday, and are waiting for the post-mortem report to determine how she was killed. 

It is thought the missing parts – calves and feet – were probably carried by the river out to sea. Police found her head at a Tuas incinerator plant later yesterday. 

Acting director of the Criminal Investigation Department Ng Ser Song said the police spared no effort in investigating the gruesome crime, which accounted for an arrest made within 24 hours. – The Straits Times/ANN