A father and daughter found dead in a Sengkang HDB flat in 2025 were determined to have died from natural causes.
State Coroner Adam Nakhoda on Friday (May 15) declared an open verdict and said there was no suspicion of foul play.
He noted their bodies were so decomposed by the time they were found, the cause of death could not be determined.
Mr Xu Baolu, 75, had lived with his 47-year-old daughter, Ms Xu Na, in an HDB flat on the eighth floor of Block 324D Sengkang East Way.
On Oct 6, 2025, their remains were found in the flat after the town council received complaints of a foul smell coming from the unit.
Mr Xu’s skeletal remains were found on a bed, and his daughter’s body, which weighed about 24kg, was in a highly decomposed state.
State Coroner Nakhoda noted that Mr Xu was socially awkward and reclusive. Neighbours said he would not react when greeted, and would avoid eye contact in the lift.
He was devoted to his daughter, who had severe psychiatric issues, and focused his attention on caring and providing for her the best he could.
However, it may have been to the detriment of his own health, as he had not gone for any medical checkups.
If he did have any chronic illnesses, they were not diagnosed, said the coroner.
His daughter Ms Xu suffered from psychosis, and was seen at the Institute of Mental Health in 2022. She did not return for any confirmed diagnosis or treatment, even though it was clear she needed help, said the coroner.
He added that because of her mental health challenges, she could not function without her father’s assistance. Mr Xu had to buy food for her daily.
The coroner noted they were not in any financial difficulty.
Investigators found the last withdrawal from Mr Xu’s bank account was in June 2025, and the last time a laptop in the unit was used was on June 18, 2025.
Based on this, the coroner said he likely died while in bed sometime after June 18, 2025.
The coroner added that Ms Xu would have been unable to deal with his death, and his body decomposed as it was left unattended on the bed, with his bodily fluids absorbed by the mattress.
The coroner said if his fluids had seeped onto the floor and through the ceiling to the unit below, his death would perhaps have been discovered earlier.
State Coroner Nakhoda said after Mr Xu died, his daughter would have been unable to get food or fend for herself.
She was seen at a convenience store on June 29, 2025, and had difficulty communicating with police officers and could not recall her address.
The first complaint of a foul smell from the unit was sometime in July 2025.
The coroner said it is unclear when she was last seen alive, but he added it was likely sometime in August or September 2025.
There was no evidence of suicide or trauma, but the coroner noted that Ms Xu was malnourished based on her weight when her body was discovered.
Police Inspector 2 Irfan Al-Nazirul had earlier testified that no food was found in the unit, except for some condiments in the fridge.
The flat also did not have a stove. A relative told the police Mr Xu removed it for the safety of his daughter.
Insp Irfan had also testified that because of her psychosis, Ms Xu would often refuse to eat or drink as she was paranoid about being poisoned.
The coroner said that due to the extent of her body’s decomposition, the cause of death could not be ascertained but her not eating anything could have contributed to it.
As for Mr Xu, the coroner said that due to his skeletal remains, it was not possible to determine if his death was due to natural disease or by an unnatural cause such as the ingestion of substances.
He ruled an open verdict in both cases, with no foul play in either death, and extended his condolences to the next of kin.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
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