View source for Disappearance of Winnifred Teo (1985)

[[File:Winnifred Teo (1).jpg|alt=Photo of Winnifred Teo.|thumb|Photo of Winnifred Teo.]]
Winnifred Teo Suan Lie was an 18-year old student from Catholic Junior College (CJC) who was found murdered on May 23, 1985.<ref name=":0">“[https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/from-the-st-archives-female-jogger-found-dead From the ST archives: Female jogger found dead]”. ''The Straits Times.'' May 24, 1985. Accessed 18 January, 2021. </ref> Her case resurfaced in the media due to the breakthrough of [[Disappearance of Lim Shiow Rong (1995)|Lim Shiow Rong]]’s cold case, which has been unsolved since 1995.<ref>Cai, Candice. “[https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/girl-7-raped-and-murdered-1995-family-receive-tip-after-appeal-help Girl, 7, raped and murdered in 1995: Family receives tip-off after appeal for help]”. ''AsiaOne.'' January 17, 2021. Accessed 18 January, 2021. </ref> As of January 2021, Winnifred Teo’s case is still unsolved.<ref>Lee, Jeremy. “[https://mustsharenews.com/winnifred-teo-murder/ Murder Of Winnifred Teo Still Unsolved After 36 Years, Teen’s Body Was Found At Holland Road]”. ''Mustshare News.'' January 18, 2021. Accessed 18 January, 2021.</ref>

==Background==
Born in 1967, Winnifred Teo Suan Lie was the middle of three siblings.<ref>Wee, Paul. "[https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19850527-1.2.58?ST=1&AT=search&k=winnifred%20teo&QT=winnifred,teo&oref=article 500 bid a final farewell to Winnifred]". ''The Straits Times.'' May 27, 1985. Accessed 29 January, 2021. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.</ref> At the time of her death, Winnifred's older sister, Martina, was studying overseas in Australia and her younger brother, Gerald, was studying in Saint Joseph's Institution.<ref name=":3">Nair, Suresh. "[https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singmonitor19850524-2.2.6.1?ST=1&AT=search&k=winnifred%20teo&QT=winnifred,teo&oref=article Police probing motives for slaying of girl jogger]". ''Singapore Monitor.'' May 24, 1985. Accessed 29 January, 2021. </ref>

===Profile===
Winnifred Teo was described as having waist long hair with tanned skin, which often caused her to be mistaken for an Eurasian girl.<ref name=":1">“[https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19850526-1.2.18.15?ST=1&AT=search&k=winnifred%20teo&QT=winnifred,teo&oref=article No point talking about it, says dad]”. ''The Straits Times.'' May 26, 1985. Accessed 19 January, 2021. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.</ref>[[File:Winnifred Teo (2).jpg|alt=The stretch at Holland Road where Winnifred Teo's body was found.|thumb|The stretch at Holland Road where Winnifred Teo's body was found.]]

===Last seen===
Winnifred Teo was last seen at 6pm on May 22, 1985 when she left her home at Maryland Drive to go for a jog around her neighbourhood.<ref name=":0" /> When she did not return home by 4am the following morning, Winnifred’s mother filed a missing persons report with the police.<ref name=":0" />
==Search & investigations==
In the early hours of May 23, 1985, the police found Winnifred Teo’s dead body along a secluded stretch at Holland Road, over a kilometre from her place.<ref name=":1" /> Found in the dense undergrowth, Winnifred’s nude body was covered in mud, bound by her tee shirt and brassiere.<ref name=":2">“[https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19870523-1.2.25.40?ST=1&AT=search&k=winnifred%20teo&QT=winnifred,teo&oref=article-related Still no lead on 1985 murder of girl jogger]”. ''The Straits Times.'' May 23, 1987. Accessed 18 January, 2021. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.</ref> No immediate signs of injury were visible on her body.<ref name=":3" /> Other belongings, such as Winnifred’s pink jogging shoes, black shorts and watch was found a short distance from the crime scene.<ref name=":0" />

Winnifred Teo was described as “active” and “likeable” by her classmates, who were shocked to learn about her death.<ref name=":0" /> CJC teacher Father Keane added that Winnifred had been running to prepare for an upcoming Outward Bound camp, saying:<blockquote>"She couldn't jog in school because of heavy schoolwork and had therefore (sic) jog in the evening after school instead."<ref name=":0" /></blockquote>
[[File:Winnifred Teo (3).jpg|alt=Police retrieving Winnifred Teo’s body in 1985.|thumb|Police retrieving Winnifred Teo’s body in 1985.]]
===Police investigations===
Winnifred Teo’s body was found with six stab wounds to her neck and her hands bound by her tee shirt and undergarments.<ref name=":2" /> Her face and body was also found to have bruises, indicating further assault together with the stab wounds.<ref>Nair, Suresh., Sit, Yit Fong. “[https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singmonitor19850528-2.2.3?ST=1&AT=search&k=winnifred%20teo&QT=winnifred,teo&oref=article Winnifred Teo Murder: $50,000 Reward Offer]”. ''Singapore Monitor.'' May 28, 1985. Accessed 19 January, 2021. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.</ref> 

According to an article written by the ''Singapore Monitor'', further investigations by the government pathologist found that Winnifred had been sexually abused.<ref>Nair, Suresh. “[https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singmonitor19850525-1.2.6.4?ST=1&AT=search&k=winnifred%20teo&QT=winnifred,teo&oref=article Slain girl may have been attacked by more than one person]”. ''Singapore Monitor.'' May 25, 1987. Accessed 18 January, 2021. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. </ref> The nature in which Winnifred’s body was found has led police investigators to believe that Winnifred was the victim of a sex crime, having been raped and subsequently murdered.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> Police investigators also interviewed frequent joggers and residents around the area which Winnifred Teo was murdered, many of whom mentioned a man exposing himself to passersby several times along the jogging route Winnifred took.<ref>"[https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19850528-1.2.20.14?ST=1&AT=search&k=winnifred%20teo&QT=winnifred,teo&oref=article 200 policemen spare no effort in manhunt]". ''The Straits Times.'' May 28, 1985. Accessed 29 January, 2021. </ref>

===Speculations===
Following Winnifred’s murder, there were speculations afoot that she was murdered due to a business rivalry since her father, Teo Joo Kim, was a prominent director in a timber firm.<ref name=":1" /><ref>Nair, Suresh. “[https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singmonitor19850524-2.2.6.1?ST=1&AT=search&k=winnifred%20teo&QT=winnifred,teo&oref=article Police probing motives for slaying of girl jogger]”. ''Singapore Monitor.'' May 24, 1985. Accessed 19 January, 2021. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. </ref> In a 1985 interview with ''The Straits Times'', Mr Teo dismissed reports that his daughter’s death was linked to a business rivalry, saying:<blockquote>“We’ll leave everything (investigations) to the police. The papers could write what they wanted (sic), but they should check their facts carefully first.”<ref name=":1" /></blockquote>

==References / Citations==
[[Category:Newsworthy Incidents]]
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