As Singapore’s ageing population grows, more and more elderly live alone, getting checked on only occasionally by loved ones and social workers.
This was the fate of one 83-year-old grandma, Madam Cai Su Qian (transliterated from mandarin), whose decomposing body was found when her granddaughter visited her place on 30 Aug 2022.
Her body was found in her Ghim Moh HDB flat, where she lived alone.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, the granddaughter was visiting her grandma on 30 Aug 2022 when she made the grim discovery.
When no one answered the door at first, she did not think much of it as she knew Madam Cai was hard of hearing.
After about 10 minutes of knocking, the granddaughter pushed the door open.
While her grandma was not in sight, she saw multiple flies flying around the living room. She also caught a whiff of a strange smell.
Alarmed by the flies and the stench, Madam Cai’s granddaughter immediately called the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) for help.
Upon arriving, SCDF officers broke into the flat and found a body in an advanced stage of decomposition between the kitchen and toilet area of the flat.
Source: Lianhe Zaobao
Lianhe Zaobao reports that Madam Cai’s face was so severely decomposed that it was beyond recognition.
In fact, investigation officers had to retrieve a portion of her bone marrow and compare it with her son’s to identify the body.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, neighbours last saw the elderly woman in June 2022, two months before her body was found.
A Coroner’s court was held on Monday (27 Feb) to issue a verdict on the cause of her death.
During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Madam Cai had seven children.
However, they allegedly last visited her in 2019, three years before her death.
Source: Google Maps
Lianhe Zaobao reported that the elderly woman was only close to her granddaughter, and apparently did not want her children to visit her.
As such, the only people checking on her were her granddaughter and a social worker.
The social worker apparently last visited her place in April 2022, but no one was home then.
The elderly lady had a history of multiple chronic diseases, including high blood pressure and diabetes. She had also suffered a stroke and experienced symptoms like paranoid delusions.
However, the coroner was unable to identify the exact cause of her death due to the advanced state of decomposition her body was in.
The coroner thus recorded an open verdict in her case.
Nevertheless, the police have ruled out the possibility of homicide, since there is only one key to her house. Additionally, there were no signs of a break-in.
The coroner also could not find external injuries on Madam Cai’s body.
MS News extends our deepest condolences to the bereaved. May the deceased rest in peace.
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Featured image adapted from Lianhe Zaobao.
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