Man charged with murder of former air stewardess

Bespectacled and wearing a red T-shirt and shorts, 26-year-old Neo Chun Zheng showed no expression yesterday morning as he was charged with the murder of a 23-year-old former stewardess.

He is accused of killing Ms Soh Yuan Lin outside his flat in Boon Lay Drive last Thursday, some time between 8.07pm and 8.17pm.

Hours after Neo was charged, Ms Soh's family held her wake at a funeral parlour in Sin Ming Drive. The place was packed with grieving family members and friends.

The former Scoot employee leaves a younger brother and her parents. They did not want to speak to the media. However, her father, resigned to his grief, said: "Whatever I say cannot change history - it won't bring her back."

Mr Pang Kuan Meng, 59, who embalmed the victim's body, said that her parents are very depressed and it was her uncle who handled the funeral arrangements.

He added that the victim had a deep wound in her neck, confirming previous reports that she had been stabbed there.

The prosecution has asked for Neo, who was not represented by a lawyer, to be remanded pending police investigation. His case will be heard again on Friday.

Neo lived in a four-room HDB flat with his parents and an older brother. Neighbours said they had heard Neo and the victim arguing for about 10 minutes in the flat on Thursday night, with Neo's mother trying to stop the quarrel.

Ms Soh was taken to Ng Teng Fong Hospital and pronounced dead about three hours later.

If convicted, Neo faces the death penalty.

leepearl@sph.com.sg

kxinghui@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on November 29, 2015.
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