She ran off to see "papa's friend" before her mother could stop her. It was the last time anyone saw her alive.
Lim Show Rong, 7, was abducted and killed in Singapore on June 24, 1994. Decades later, the case remains one of Singapore's oldest unsolved child murders.
A Sudden Disappearance
Show Rong, a primary school student, told her mother, Madam Ang Goon Lay, that she was going to see "papa's friend" and ran off before her mother could respond. Madam Ang was working at the family's coffee shop at the time; by the time she turned around, her daughter was already gone. It was the last time she saw Show Rong alive.
A Search Through the Night
After searching through the night without success, Madam Ang contacted police the next day. Among Show Rong's belongings, she found a torn piece of paper bearing a pager number and a single Chinese character meaning "younger brother" — a number Madam Ang didn't recognize.
Discovery
Show Rong's body was found by a youth playing football roughly 8 kilometers from her home, near what is now the Institute of Mental Health. Investigators determined she had been assaulted and strangled. Given her age, we won't detail the specific nature of the assault further here.
A Man Who Frequented the Coffee Shop
Following her daughter's death, Madam Ang told local media she had noticed a particular customer who frequented the coffee shop when her husband wasn't present, typically arriving between 8 and 11 p.m. and staying roughly half an hour. Witnesses said the man spoke only to Show Rong and had been seen buying her sweets. Police released a composite sketch based on witness descriptions: a stout Chinese man in his 30s or 40s, of medium build, roughly 1.65 meters tall.
Still Unsolved
Despite the composite sketch and witness accounts, the man was never identified, and no one has ever been charged in connection with Show Rong's death. The case remains among the oldest unsolved child murders in Singapore's criminal history.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has anyone ever been charged in Lim Show Rong's murder?
No. Despite a police composite sketch and witness accounts of a man seen with her before her death, no suspect has ever been identified or charged.
Where was her body found?
Roughly 8 kilometers from her home, near what is now the Institute of Mental Health in Singapore.
Is the case still open?
Yes, it remains classified as unsolved.