Four siblings were left alone for a few hours one January morning. When their parents returned, all four were dead — and the killer sent them a taunting letter two weeks later.
The Tan Family
On January 6, 1979, the four children of Tan Kuen Chai and Lee Mei Ying were killed in the family's Geylang Bahru flat in Singapore. The victims were 10-year-old Tan Kok Peng, 8-year-old Tan Kok Hin, 6-year-old Tan Kok Soon, and 5-year-old Tan Chin Nee, the only girl and youngest of the four.
The Discovery
Both parents had left for work around 6:35 a.m. that morning, as they routinely did before returning to take the children to school. When repeated phone calls to the house went unanswered, the mother asked a neighbor to check on them; there was still no response. The parents returned home around 10 a.m. and found all four children dead.
The Crime Scene
Investigators found the children had suffered fatal injuries and showed signs that the eldest boy, Tan Kok Peng, had fought back in an apparent attempt to protect his younger siblings. There were no signs of forced entry and little visible blood elsewhere in the flat, suggesting the killer may have been someone the children knew and let in.
The Investigation
Singapore's Criminal Investigation Department led the inquiry. Investigators believed the weapons used were a kitchen chopper and knife, neither of which was ever recovered. Around a hundred neighbors were questioned, and hair found clutched in the eldest boy's hand was tested but, given the forensic limitations of the era, led nowhere.
The Taunting Letter
About two weeks after the killings, the parents received a Chinese New Year card, handwritten in Mandarin and signed "The Murderer." The note used the couple's nicknames and referenced a detail few people knew: that the mother had undergone a sterilization procedure after her youngest child's birth, telling the couple they could "have no more children."
The Taxi Driver's Lead
A taxi driver later told police he had picked up a man near the crime scene with blood on his clothing and a knife that could be heard striking the car door. In a police lineup, the family identified the man as an "uncle" figure — a neighbor who was a regular, trusted visitor to their home. He was held for two weeks but released for lack of evidence, and no other strong suspect ever emerged.
Theories and Case Status
Over the decades, various theories have circulated, including that the family owed a debt to a criminal group, or that the killings were connected to a relationship between the mother and the suspected "uncle." None of these theories has ever been substantiated. More than 40 years later, the Geylang Bahru murders remain one of Singapore's best-known unsolved cases.
FAQ
Was anyone ever charged in the Geylang Bahru murders?
No. A neighbor was briefly held as a suspect but released due to insufficient evidence, and the case remains unsolved.
How many children were killed?
All four children of the Tan family, aged 5 to 10, were killed on January 6, 1979.
Did the killer ever contact the family?
Yes. The parents received an anonymous card signed "The Murderer" about two weeks after the killings.