Disappearance of Winnifred Teo (1985)
Winnifred Teo Suan Lie was an 18-year old student from Catholic Junior College (CJC) who was found murdered on May 23, 1985.[1] Her case resurfaced in the media due to the breakthrough of Lim Shiow Rong’s cold case, which has been unsolved since 1995.[2] As of January 2021, Winnifred Teo’s case has still been unsolved.[3]
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Background
Profile
Born in 1967, Winnifred Teo was described as having waist long hair with tanned skin, which often caused her to be mistaken for an Eurasian girl.[4]
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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.[1] When she did not return home by 4am the following morning, Winnifred’s mother filed a missing persons report with the police.[1]
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.[4] Found in the dense undergrowth, Winnifred’s nude body was covered in mud, bound by her tee shirt and brassiere.[5] Other belongings, such as Winnifred’s pink jogging shoes, black shorts and watch was found a short distance from the crime scene.[1]
Winnifred Teo was described as “active” and “likeable” by her classmates, who were shocked to learn about her death.[1] CJC teacher Father Keane added that Winnifred had been running to prepare for an upcoming Outward Bound camp, saying:
"She couldn't jog in school because of heavy schoolwork and had therefore (sic) jog in the evening after school instead."[1]
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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.[5] Her face and body was also found to have bruises, indicating further assault excluding the stab wounds.[6]
According to an article written by the Singapore Monitor, further investigations by the government pathologist found that Winnifred had been sexually abused.[7] 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.[4][1]
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.[4][8] In a 1985 interview with The Straits Times, Mr Teo dismissed reports that his daughter’s death was linked to a business rivalry, saying:
“We’ll leave everything (investigations) to the police. The papers could write what they wanted (sic), but they should check their facts carefully first.”[4]
References / Citations
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 “From the ST archives: Female jogger found dead”. The Straits Times. May 24, 1985. Accessed 18 January, 2021.
- ↑ Cai, Candice. “Girl, 7, raped and murdered in 1995: Family receives tip-off after appeal for help”. AsiaOne. January 17, 2021. Accessed 18 January, 2021.
- ↑ Lee, Jeremy. “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.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 “No point talking about it, says dad”. The Straits Times. May 26, 1985. Accessed 19 January, 2021. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 “Still no lead on 1985 murder of girl jogger”. The Straits Times. May 23, 1987. Accessed 18 January, 2021. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
- ↑ Nair, Suresh., Sit, Yit Fong. “Winnifred Teo Murder: $50,000 Reward Offer”. Singapore Monitor. May 28, 1985. Accessed 19 January, 2021. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
- ↑ Nair, Suresh. “Slain girl may have been attacked by more than one person”. Singapore Monitor. May 25, 1987. Accessed 18 January, 2021. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
- ↑ Nair, Suresh. “Police probing motives for slaying of girl jogger”. Singapore Monitor. May 24, 1985. Accessed 19 January, 2021. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.