[ad_1]
Two men who were the last to be seen with their schoolmate before she disappeared for 13 years are now charged with murdering her.
Ahmad Danial Mohamed Rafa’ee, 35, one of the two, was indicted yesterday in court for the murder of Ms. Felicia Teo Wei Ling on June 30, 2007.
He and Ragil Putra Setia Sukmarahjana, 32, allegedly murdered Ms. Teo, then 19, between 1.39 am and 7:20 am in a unit on the 10th floor of Block 19 Marine Terrace, court documents said.
The two men are believed to have been the last to see Ms Teo when she went to the apartment that night, police said in a statement yesterday. The three are said to have been friends and studied at Lasalle College of the Arts, according to their online profiles.
A bespectacled Ahmad Danial, who wore long hair, had ear piercings and was handcuffed, appeared in court via video link.
Police said Ahmad Danial was arrested on Tuesday. They are looking for Ragil Putra Setia, who they believe is not in Singapore. They are also looking for the remains of Mrs. Teo.
Speaking to The Straits Times, a close friend of Ms Teo’s who declined to be named said that he, along with Ms Teo’s friends and family, had conducted a thorough search for her after she disappeared. .
They firmly believed that she had not run away, contrary to what netizens were saying, and her mother filed a missing persons report on July 3 of that year.
They carried out their own investigations, even going to the extent of approaching Ms. Teo’s telecommunications provider to retrieve her phone records.
They also constantly monitored their social media accounts, the friend said, adding that she had been frustrated by the lack of progress in the investigations.
After just over a year of searching, Ms. Teo’s parents encouraged him to “get on with life,” the friend said. “His family really wanted me to live my own life. I’m pretty sure his mother still had hope until the end,” he added.
-
How the tragedy unfolded
-
PHOTO: FAMILY OF FELICIA TEO -
Felicia Teo’s disappearance in 2007 made headlines when her family and friends refused to believe that the 19-year-old had run away. It is now believed that she was killed by two men, one of whom was charged yesterday.
This is how the events unfolded.
JUNE 29, 2007
Ms. Teo leaves her home in Bras Basah. This is the last time her parents see her.
-
Later, closed-circuit television footage shows her entering an elevator in a Marine Terrace apartment block with two men.
Ms. Teo is believed to have been later killed by Ahmad Danial Mohamed Rafa’ee and Ragil Putra Setia Sukmarahjana on the floor between 1.39 am and 7.20 am on June 30, according to court documents.
-
JULY 3, 2007
-
Ms Teo’s mother files a missing persons police report.
The police are beginning to investigate and classify Ms. Teo’s case as a missing persons case, as they do not find any facts linking the two men to her disappearance. The men told police that Ms. Teo left the apartment of her own free will.
Ms. Teo’s friends and family continue with their own search.
2007-2020
-
The police regularly review the case.
July 2020
-
After review, the case is referred to the Criminal Investigation Department, whose officers uncover new leads.
DECEMBER 15
-
Ahmad Danial is arrested.
DECEMBER 17
-
He’s charged in court with murder. The police are looking for the remains of Ragil Putra Setia and Ms. Teo.
Police said they had classified the case as a missing persons case in 2007, as they had found no facts linking the two men to Ms Teo’s disappearance.
Both men had maintained to the police that Ms. Teo left the apartment at dawn on June 30 of that year.
Police said they carried out extensive investigations, which included searching the apartment and checking closed-circuit television footage in the vicinity, but found nothing incriminating.
Police explained that they periodically review unsolved missing persons cases for more clues.
During the periodic reviews, interviews were conducted with Ms. Teo’s family and other witnesses.
Police also checked Ms Teo’s bank accounts, emails, and social media platforms for new fingerprints.
After a review in July this year, Ms Teo’s case was referred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), “as the case has been unsolved for an extended period,” police said.
The police added that this is part of a process in which selected cases that have been pending for an extended period of time are presented to the CID for review.
A major breakthrough came after the CID uncovered new leads while tracking belongings believed to be in Ms. Teo’s possession when she was reported missing, police said.
Media reports later said that Ms Teo had her mobile phone and laptop with her, among other items, when she disappeared.
The CID managed to link one of his belongings to Ahmad Danial.
More than 200 people participated in the search for Ms. Teo in 2007. They distributed flyers, ran newspaper ads, and combed areas such as Geylang, Yishun, and Woodlands.
Crime Library Singapore founder Joseph Tan said his organization has continued the search since Teo’s parents approached them in 2007.
“I’m glad there is a closure, but there are no words to describe how sad this case is, especially since it was over 13 years,” said Tan, who last spoke to the family a few months ago to see how they were doing.
Ahmad Danial is on remand for investigations. If convicted of murder, he faces the death penalty.
[ad_2]
