Hi all, this is my first post and I thought for a good while on which case to start with and ultimately decided on this, the reason being,
1) I’m a Singaporean, so I would be able to retrieve the information rather easily and understand the cultural nuances of the case if any.
3) Continue to create awareness for this case that has yet to be solved.
To start, I like to say that I will also be adding on any new information that I come across so that I can keep the information as up-to-date as possible. This is more so for this case since it has yet to be solved.
I tried to get my information from reliable sources, mainly from the newspapers. Yet, having said this, the more I researched, the more I realised that there are contradictions in some of the information even in newspapers. Also, I think it’s easy to get into the rabbit hole of he says, she says, speculations and what have you. To a huge extent, I take it upon myself to put out correct information out there.
I’ve gotten most of the information online. You may refer to the references at the end of this blog. I predict this list will continue to grow as I continue with my research.
I try to be as objective as possible and if there are contradictions to any piece of information, I would also raise them here. This is to allow the readers to be able to determine for themselves whether a piece of information is accurate or otherwise.
Where did the case take place?
6 January 1979 (Saturday)
Mr Tan Kuen Chai, and Ms Lee Mei Ying or Lee MC are married with 4 children,
Tan Kok Peng, 10 years old
Tan Kok Hin, 8 years old, male
Tan Kok Soon, 6 years old, male
Tan Chin Nee, 5 years old, female
They lived in a 1 bedroom HDB flat at blk 58 Geylang Bahru, level 5, 05-3557D. In case you’re curious about the layout of a standard 1 bedroom HDB flat.
Mr Tan and Ms Lee operate a school bus business. They left their home as per usual on other school days at around 6.35 a.m.* to ferry students to schools.
(this time was stated on Lianhe Zaobao) or 6.35 a.m. in other sources: The parents left home at 6.35 a.m. to ferry students to schools. It was stated in Lianhe Zaobao that Mr Tan was an auxiliary bus driver and Ms Lee was a ticket conductor. To clarify, during the 1970s, passengers would have to purchase the bus ticket from a ticket conductor and the conductor would then cut the ticket using a ticket cutter. This piece of information differs with other sources that state that the couple owns a school bus. The article also stated that Mr Tan possessed a bus. This information seemed to contradict the other sources that said Mr and Mrs Tan operates a mini-school bus business.
This case took place on level 5 (not level 4 as reported in local English news sources and this was corrected by Mr Joseph Tan, founder of Crime Library Singapore) of of block 58 of Geylang Bahru in the 1 bedroom flat in the bathroom in Singapore on the morning of 6 January 1979 (Sat). The local Chinese newspapers, Lianhe Zaobao and Xin Min Ri Bao also stated that the murders took place on the fifth floor. The unit number is #05-3557D. (Xin Ming Ri Bao). According to Crime Library Singapore, the unit numbers of the floor are as follows: #05-3525 to #05-3579.
I researched one-room flat layout in Singapore but the information is rather limited. I only managed to find only 1 image on this. From my research, it seems that to live in an HDB one-room rental flat, the family’s monthly income must not exceed $250, and the cheapest rent for such a flat would be $20 per month. According to the 1961 annual report, such rates have been fixed by the government so that those people in need of such housing in the lower income groups would be able to enjoy the benefits of public housing. Subsequently, in 1979, these rental rates were increased but I was unable to locate the rate of increase. The reason why I wanted to have the layout is for myself to visualise the scene better. Some sources I’ve come across actually mentioned that one of the children saw the murderer(s), from the window, if the below layout is the standard layout for a one-room layout, it is unlikely that this took place, because there were no windows along the corridor in the first place.
Who
The victims were:
Tan Kok Peng, 10 years old, male
Tan Kok Hin, 8 years old, male
Tan Kok Soon, 6 years old, male
Tan Chin Nee, 5 years old, female
The three brothers were students of Bendemeer Road Primary School while Chin Nee was a second-year student at a nearby PAP kindergarten.
I tried locating Bendemeer Road Primary School, but was unable to locate it. I’m not sure if it was closed or the name of the school is Bendemeer Primary School. Bendemeer School started in 1977. And this school is located on Bendemeer Road. If this is correct, it might be likely the name of the school is Bendemeer Primary School, instead of Bendemeeer Road Primary School. The school is less than 10 minutes walk from block 58 Geylang Bahru.
These four children were violently murdered. Blood splattered all over the bathroom. The children were found slashed to death while their parents, Mr Tan Kuen Chai, and Ms Lee Mei Ying or Lee MC (this name was later corrected by Mr Joseph Tan, founder of Crime Library Singapore) were at work when the murders took place. Mr and Mrs Tan operate a mini-school-bus.
I was originally puzzled at the part where there was school on Saturdays, but after some research, I found out that it was a thing that children would have to go to schools on Saturdays during the 1970s and that school was half-day on Saturdays.
The children, dressed in T-shirts and pants, were discovered by their parents, Mr Tan and Ms Lee when they returned from work after 10 a.m. (However, having said this, it was reported that Ms Lee was the one who returned according to Ms Lee and there was no mention of Mr Tan). The children were found with slash wounds. The eldest, Tan Kok Peng’s right arm was almost severed. It was said that the youngest, Tan Chin Nee was found clutching her favourite pillow.
The children’s bodies were found piled one on top of the other, with the youngest Tan Chin Nee on top. It is not mentioned if the positions were due to the sequence of when the children were murdered or if this was specifically arranged by the murder(s).
Timeline
According to the police spokesperson, Mr Teo Han Wue shared the following,
6.30 a.m. (this time was stated on Lianhe Zaobao) or 6.35 a.m. in other sources: The parents left home at 6.35 a.m. to ferry students to schools. It was stated in Lianhe Zaobao that Mr Tan was an auxiliary bus driver and Ms Lee was a ticket conductor. To clarify, during the 1970s, passengers would have to purchase the bus ticket from a ticket conductor and the conductor would then cut the ticket using a ticket cutter. This piece of information differs with other sources that state that the couple owns a school bus. The article also stated that Mr Tan possessed a bus. This information seemed to contradict the other sources that said Mr and Mrs Tan operates a mini-school bus business.
The children were still asleep when they left.
7.10 a.m.: The mother rang home as it was her custom to wake them up with a phone call. Unfortunately, there was no response. She rang another two more times but still there was no response. She then rang her neighbour and asked her to wake the children.
8 a.m.: According to Lianhe Zaobao and Xin Ming Ri Bao, Ms Lee called the neighbour at this time, requesting the neighbour to knock on her door to check on the children. This timing differs from the timing stated in other sources that she called the neighbour shortly after the children didn’t pick up her phone. The neighbour knocked on the door but there was no response and she went away.
9.58 a.m.: According to Lianhe Zaobao, Ms Lee returned home. It was not stated in the article if Mr Tan was with her. She used her key to open the wooden door. Usually, the family didn’t lock their metal gate, and then that was when she found her children soaked in blood and dead in the bathroom.
9.59 a.m.: According to Lianhe Zaobao, the police received a phone call requesting assistance. This information then contradicts other reports that Mr and Mrs Tan returned home after 10 a.m.
Shortly after 10 a.m.: Mr Tan and Ms Lee returned home and found the children dead in the bathroom.
10.55 a.m.: The investigators arrived at the scene.
A neighbour, Granny Yam Yip Tin, 68, who usually sits outside her flat along the common passageway to watch residents’ children play, was washing her hair that morning. She said, “I would have most probably seen anyone coming out of the Tans’ flat had I not washed my fair that morning.”
Investigation
According to police spokesperson, Mr Teo, “There was no sign of forced entry into the flat. The rooms were not ransacked and there was no sign of any violence.” Also, according to Yang, assistant superintendent, the wooden door and metal gate did not show signs of forced entry, and the house also didn’t have indications of any ransacking and no valuables were lost.
No weapon was recovered, however, according to the pathologist’s report, the weapons used were a chopper and a dagger. According to the coroner, the cause of death for the four children was being slashed to death by a heavy weapon, for example, a chopper. The pathologist’s report revealed that each child had a minimum of 20 slash wounds on his or her body. It is believed that the chopper, said to have been taken from the kitchen of the flat and a dagger were used. It was also believed that there could have been more than one attacker. According to Lianhe Zaobao, another medical examiner mentioned that after examination, there may be 1 or more murderers.
Adding on, as mentioned in the video, Insider Crime Scene, Season 1: In Cold Blood – Geylang Bahru Murders, it was said that the main murder weapon was a chopper. There were also two more stab wounds. According to Mr Tan, there were a chopper and a knife in the flat but after the murders, the chopper had gone missing.
According to Simon Suppiah, a police officer, the head, face, and arm of the children were hacked. It is not known that when he said this, he meant that each of the children was hacked in different areas or that the children were all hacked in these areas. It was also stated in Lianhe Zaobao that there were slash marks on the children’s bodies.
There were bloodstains in the kitchen sink and police believed the killer had washed himself/herself before leaving the flat.
The police questioned more than 100 people – family, immediate neighbours and residents of the area. Amongst the more than 100 people, 2 women were questioned but were released later. Also, it was revealed that a prankster told Chinese newspapers that he saw a couple leaving the murder scene soon after the killing. Police investigated this and found it to be a hoax.
It was reported that the police learned that there was a man who lived on the sixth storey of another block behind the Tan’s family home who witnessed Chin Nee struggling with a man in the kitchen. He had dismissed it, thinking that it was someone try to discipline his child. This piece of information was from the residents.
The detectives investigated the possibility that the killer entered the flat with a key reportedly lost by Mrs Tan. Even though she had lost the key, the locks were not changed.
According to the video, Insider Crime Scene, Season 1: In Cold Blood – Geylang Bahru Murders, it was said that the investigation report revealed that the time of death of the children was between 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. It was also mentioned in this video that an article published in 1979, that the police were worried that Mr and Mrs Tan were hiding something, as if they were holding their tongue for fear of offending someone.
Also, as mentioned in the same video, it was published in the newspapers that the relevant authorities had run toxicology tests but the results were not revealed (I was unable to locate the source of this).
It was also said in the video that the eldest boy, Tan Kok Peng had put up a fight against his killer(s) and that was the reason why his arm was almost severed.
It was reported in the news that investigators tried to establish the background of the Tan family, as they believed the parents might have incurred the wrath of the killer(s). Also, they also found that the killer(s) is familiar with the Tan family’s background because he/she left no heirs since Mrs Tan is said to have been sterilised after the birth of Chin Nee.
According to reporter, Mr Ho Yuen, there were minimum clues revealed by the police and as such, it’s very difficult to understand the case completely or be able to profile the murderer.
What investigators believed:
The killer took the four children, who were still asleep at the time, one by one into the bathroom and this explained why neighbours did not hear any cries from the children. They also believed that the attacker was known to the family. Investigators who were working on the case had pursued the lead that it was a revenge killing.
From the clues gathered at the scene, the murder was meticulously planned and the killer was cautious as no incriminating evidence was left behind. It is believed that the killer had cleaned himself/herself in the toilet.
According to several sources, Tan Kok Peng, the oldest child, had strands of hair, believed to be that of a woman in his right hand. Yet, this piece of information is countered by the police and they said that Tan Kok Peng never had strands of hair in his hand (The Straits Times dated 15 January 1979), though it was stated in The Straits Times dated 8 January 1979, that he clasped several strands of long hair, believed to be the killer. Yet, I like to think that due to the misreporting earlier, the police came out to clarify this later.
Speculations & Stories about Mr Tan Kuen Chai and Ms Lee MC/Lee May Ying
Mrs Tan’s brother told The Straits Times at that time that the murders could have something to do with an illegal tontine. One possibility that the police had explored was that the killer could have been a disgruntled 4-D punter. Shin Min Daily News, quoting police sources, reported that the punter felt he had been cheated of his prize money, which amounted to about $40,000 (do note that $40,000 in 1979 is considered to be around $100,000 in this era). However, the Tans told Shin Min that they had not offended anyone and had no idea why their children were targeted.
Some sources said that this 4-D punter believed that Mr and Mrs Tan might have used the money to purchase a bus. I tried researching how much a bus, particularly a single-deck bus would cost and it cost around $30,000-$50,000.
According to Mr Ho Yuen, a retired reporter from one of the local newspapers, and author of 10 books on major and bizarre crimes in Singapore, there was a local newspaper that reported consecutively for 12 days the different hearsays of the case. He also mentioned that there was a rumour that a relative of Ms Lee was arrested. The parents held a press conference (probably in Malaysia) to clarify this matter. The retired reporter said he had attended this press conference, but when he was there, nobody was particularly keen on clarifying this matter. (I’m trying to see if I’m able to retrieve any piece of news and/or information that maybe published in Malaysia on this since at the moment, I can’t locate such news in the local newspapers).
It was said that Mr and Mrs Tan received a Chinese New Year card from the murderer mocking them at the loss of their children. Unfortunately, I didn’t locate any information on this. I’m also trying to locate more sources to determine how reliable this is.
There was also speculation that the children were murdered by this young man who is Mr and Mrs Tan’s neighbour who always dropped by their family to use the phone. I was also unable to find any reliable sources on this speculation.
According to an investigator, he/she said that if the murderer is not caught, both Mr and Mr Tan would have to fear for their lives since they have 2 children.
After the Murders
The day after the murder, according to the retired reporter, Mr Ho Yuen mentioned that his colleague went to the morgue and saw the grandmother of the children. She was seen wailing and cursing the murderer(s). She hoped that the children would appear in their dreams so that they could bring the murderer(s) to justice.
In some Chinese cultural beliefs, it is thought that those who have died due to injustice or unresolved circumstances may appear in the dreams of the living, often to seek justice or closure. This idea is deeply rooted in the concepts of justice and the balance of cosmic order. The spirits of the deceased are believed to communicate through dreams, especially to children or those who are more spiritually attuned, to guide them towards resolving unfinished business or to bring perpetrators to justice. The concept underscores the importance of justice and the moral responsibility of the living to address wrongful acts and honour the memories of those who have passed.
The children were buried on 7 Jan 1979 (Sun), at Choa Chu Kang. They were dressed in their best clothes and their schoolbags, textbooks and toys were buried with them. Mrs Tan fainted several times when her children were placed in their coffins.
It was said in the video, Insider Crime Scene, Season 1: In Cold Blood – Geylang Bahru Murders, that shortly after the death of the children, Mr and Mrs Tans lived with one of their relatives for some time. They ended their school bus business and worked in a PVC factory. However, according to Xin Ming Ri Bao, Mr Tan became a proprietor of a plastic bag factory. And they continued living in the same unit.
A year after the murders, the family put up an advertisement on the newspapers to create awareness on the case and asked witnesses to come forth and provide more information to the police, and to solve the case.
2 years after the murders (1981), Ms Lee had approached a famous gynaecologist to reverse her sterilisation.
30 Dec 1983, Ms Lee gave birth to a son at a private hospital. (Xin Ming Ri Bao)
4 years after the murders, the family had again put up a similar advertisement to create awareness on the case and requested for witnesses to come forth. (Nanyang Siang Pau), 7 January 1983, Page 1)
The Tans have since moved out of this place. The New Paper on Sunday tracked down the family but the father, Mr Tan Kuen Chai, declined to be interviewed. Mr Tan said, ‘It happened so long ago. What’s in the past is in the past. There’s no point talking about it now.’ It was later revealed by Crime Library Singapore that Mr Tan passed away several years ago.
Analysis
According to Majeed, the chief psychologist of Ministry of Home Affairs in Singapore, who was also the person who set up the criminal analysis programme for the Singapore Police Force,
the reasons for killing children are as follows:
- the children saw something and the killer(s) wanted to silence the children
- mercy killing. The killer(s) feel that the children shouldn’t live in this harsh world
- murder by proxy. The person(s) is trying to get at someone, i.e., revenge killing
- sexually motivated.
P.S: this piece is still a work-in-progress. I’m currently trying to review more information and will come back to add more information once I’ve done reviewing.
Also, according to Joseph Tan from Crime Library Singapore, Ms Lee May Ying or Lee MC is not born in Singapore.
References:
- The Straits Times, a leading English-language daily newspaper based in Singapore –
- The Straits Time, 8 January 1979, Page 1
- The Straits Time, 9 January 1979, Page 6
- The New Paper dated 28 Nov 2004, pg 5
- Lianhe Zaobao, 17 October 1985, pg 3, a leading Chinese-language daily newspaper based in Singapore
- Nanyang Siang Pau), 7 January 1983, Page 1
- 新明日报 (Xin Ming Ri Bao), 16 October 1985, Page 1
- National Library Board – Singapore Infopedia – Geylang Bahru family murders (1979)
- Crime Library Singapore & Joseph Tan, founder of Crime Library Singapore (Facebook) – Crime Library Singapore raises crime awareness, particularly for those cases that have gone cold. – Crime Library Singapore had conducted a charity drive to raise awareness on unsolved cases and crim prevention and during this drive, a member of the public, who claimed to be a close neighbour of the family, approached the team, and provided details that were reported inaccurately by the press in 1979 and urged them to publish the correct details and sought their help to appeal on this cold case.
- Insider Crime Scene, Season 1: In Cold Blood – Geylang Bahru Murders – Produced by Mediacorp
- Dark Asia with Megan
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