Tragic end for missing man

SINGAPORE- His hands bound, his T-shirt pulled up to his neck and his body abandoned in a dark, desolate corner of Lim Chu Kang, away from prying eyes.

This was the sad end for Mr Dexmon Chua Yizhi, a 37-year-old production technician.

For days, friends had prayed for his safe return when he failed to go home after going out for a meal on Saturday evening at Cheong Chin Nam Road, in Bukit Timah.

Concerned for his safety, his brother-in-law, Mr David Goh, put up an appeal on his Facebook page. Friends filled it with words of prayer.

But yesterday, Mr Chua's suspected killer led police to the site where his body was hidden.

His body was found in a military training area near Sungei Gedong Camp, hidden in thick and tall grass next to a gravel-covered dirt track about 150 metres from the road.

His alleged killer: A 53-year-old man.

DID NOT RETURN HOME

The police said Mr Chua was reported missing on Sunday when he did not return home the previous day.

He was last seen at Cheong Chin Nam Road at 9.44pm.

On Monday, police issued an appeal for information on his whereabouts.

But there was still no sign of him and his family grew increasingly worried, taking their appeal online.

QUICK ARREST

Sensing something amiss, officers from the Jurong Police Division worked closely with colleagues from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to track down all leads.

They swiftly established the identity of the suspected killer and he led them to Mr Chua's body.

He will be charged in Court today with murder.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Investigations & Intelligence) Hoong Wee Teck said: "The officers from Jurong Police Division had displayed good investigative acumen, to sense the suspicious circumstances surrounding the missing person report at the onset of their investigations."

Mr Hoong, who is also the Director of CID, added: "Without any delay, CID officers were called in to take over the investigation, leading to the discovery of this serious crime.

"I wish to commend all the officers involved for their perseverance, dedication and hard work resulting in the successful arrest of the suspect within 48 hours of the report lodged."

SEARCHED THE AREA

But police still had to search for more evidence. Yesterday, a police forensics team combed the area even after locating Mr Chua's body.

His body was initially found a short distance away before being moved to a nearby dirt track.

Early decomposition had set in, but his hands looked to be tied together, in front of him.

Armed with powerful search lights, officers including the K9 unit searched carefully for evidence.

At about 8.20pm, a female officer was seen removing an A3-sized metal sheet from the grass patch before placing it in a yellow plastic bag.

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