Elderly Mother Kept the Corpse of Her Dead Son, 54, in HDB Flat for Over a Week After His Passing

An elderly mother, who is in her 80s, kept the corpse of her son, 54, at home for more than a week after he passed. It is believed that she did so because she was reluctant to let go of and give up her son.

According to Zaobao, the incident happened at a unit on the fifth floor at Block 85 Commonwealth Close. 

Discovered When Odour Emanated from the Flat

The man’s passing was uncovered as neighbours reported a foul odour coming from the flat earlier this week. They had initially paid no mind to it, but it became too much to bear. On 21 Jun 2022, the neighbours decided to call the police as they were worried something might have happened to the occupants of the flat. 

After the police arrived, they reportedly waited outside of the flat for an hour as no one answered. A locksmith was subsequently engaged to open the door.

Body Found in the State of Decomposition

The man was found face down in the living room and was pronounced dead at the scene. 

The body was in a state of decomposition when it was found, and it was subsequently removed at around 6:45pm. 

The police confirmed that they received a report about an unnatural death at 12:38pm.

Murder was ruled out during preliminary investigations. The police are currently still looking into the case. 

Mother and Son Always Appeared Withdrawn, Hardly Interacted with Neighbours

The deceased was described as thin and weak by another neighbour. He would typically come out of his house in the mornings to hang the laundry and water the flowers, but he has not been seen for a week. 

Neighbours said that the elderly woman and her son had always appeared withdrawn and never spoke to them. The elderly woman would even go back to her house if she sees other residents.

According to eyewitness reports, when the police entered the house, the elderly woman could be heard crying profusely, probably because she was reluctant to have her child taken away. By then, the man’s body lying in the living room was covered in houseflies.

After the removal of the corpse, an elderly woman, presumably the mother, was seen picking up a broom and starting to clean the living room, which was covered with newspapers. A middle-aged woman was also helping to clean the house.