Woman found dead with father in Sengkang flat was Cambridge PhD holder, described as polite & gifted by classmates
The woman found dead alongside her father in a Sengkang flat earlier this week has been identified as 47-year-old Xu Na, a former National University of Singapore (NUS) student who later earned a PhD from the University of Cambridge.
Source: Singapore Police Force
According to Shin Min Daily News, Ms Xu was originally from China and moved to Singapore with her parents during her secondary school years.
She studied at Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC), where she excelled academically and was active in the Chinese Language Society and Table Tennis Club.
In 1997, she won first place in the national Chinese composition competition for the junior college category.
Studied at NUS & Cambridge, later worked as researcher in France
Ms Xu went on to graduate from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2001 with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, obtained her Master’s degree in 2003, and later completed a PhD at the University of Cambridge in 2008.
Source: Simple Wikipedia, for illustration purposes only
Between 2009 and 2012, she worked as a research scientist at the French National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (INRIA).
She also kept a personal blog from 2010 to 2013, where she wrote about her life in France, her research, and her reflections on family and home.
In one entry, she shared how being the only Asian in her neighbourhood deepened her homesickness and reminded her of snowy winters in northeastern China.
She also fondly described Singapore as her “second home”, recalling how it took her six months to grow to love durians, writing that “life is like tasting durian; unless you try, you’ll never know what you might gain”.
Her final post was published in 2013.
Classmates recall her as quiet, courteous & intelligent
One of Ms Xu’s former NUS classmates, Xu Rong, told Shin Min Daily News that he recognised her immediately when police released her photo.
He described Ms Xu as introverted, polite, and exceptionally bright.
“She wasn’t very close to us at first, but we got to know her through the NUS Chinese Society,” he said, adding that Ms Xu enjoyed sports and that they had once played table tennis together.
Source: NUS News, for illustration purposes only
The last time he saw her was about 20 years ago on the North East Line, when she mentioned that she was working in France.
Mr Xu added that her parents were both researchers and that the family had few known relatives in Singapore.
Documents showed that Ms Xu’s father was a Singapore citizen, while her mother was a permanent resident who died of lymphoma in 2016 at age 66.
Following news of her death, Mr Xu said he and other classmates have been trying to contact her relatives in China, with help from one of her former colleagues in France who is currently based there.
They are also prepared to assist with funeral arrangements if no next-of-kin can be located.
Bodies found after neighbours noticed foul smell
Police were alerted on 6 Oct after residents in a lower-floor unit reported a strong odour and liquid dripping from above.
Officers later discovered the bodies of Ms Xu and her father in their Block 324D Sengkang East Way flat.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Mr Xu’s body was reportedly severely decomposed, while Ms Xu was found near the main door of the living room.
Both were believed to have last been seen around late August.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has appealed for information from Ms Xu’s next-of-kin as investigations continue.
Also read: Father & daughter found dead in Sengkang HDB flat, police seeking woman’s next-of-kin
Father & daughter found dead in Sengkang HDB flat, police seeking woman’s next-of-kin
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Featured image adapted from the Singapore Police Force and Shin Min Daily News.
