A foul smell that lingered along a corridor for days prompted residents to call the police, who found the decomposing body of a retired teacher in her 80s. She had lived alone and had been their neighbour for more than 30 years.
The discovery was made at about 4pm on Tuesday (10 November) in a second-floor flat at Block 343 Yishun Avenue 11.
A reader alerted the reporter after seeing police officers arrive in the evening, suspecting that someone had died.
When the reporter visited on Tuesday evening, a resident, Mr Wu, a 66-year-old technical specialist, said a female neighbour had been found dead at home.
He said he and his wife knew the woman as Brenda. She had lived with her family when she was younger, but her husband died many years ago and her two sons moved out after starting families of their own. She had therefore lived alone for a long time.
“We rarely saw her children visiting after that, usually only at Chinese New Year. Her grandson would visit occasionally. There was also an older man, possibly her brother, who sometimes brought her meals.”
Mr Wu described her as reserved and quiet. She had been a teacher and had also given tuition to primary school pupils at home.
“We had been neighbours for more than 30 years, and my late mother was very close to her. She rarely chatted with neighbours, but would greet us when we met.”
Mr Wu's wife, Sonia, a 55-year-old service worker, said the woman would usually open her front door in the morning and close it only in the evening when she retired for the day. But she noticed that the door had remained shut since last Friday (6 November).
She also noticed that the windows had been left open for several days, while the flat was unusually quiet, raising her suspicions.
“At first, I thought she had gone on holiday. Later, I noticed a strange smell that was hard to describe and asked my husband to check, but we did not call the police then.”
She said the smell had become much stronger on Tuesday morning, to the point that she had to wear a mask. Suspecting that someone had died inside the flat, she asked her husband to call the police.
“It was only when the police arrived to investigate that I learnt she had died. The officers later carried her body away. I feel sad about it. After all, we had been neighbours for so many years.”
In response to queries, the Singapore Police Force confirmed that it received a call for assistance at about 4.50pm on Tuesday. Officers arrived to find an 81-year-old woman lying motionless in the flat. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Based on preliminary investigations, the police do not suspect foul play. Investigations are ongoing.
