Coroner gives open verdict in death of 46-year-old man found decomposing in flat

SINGAPORE: A coroner has given an open verdict in the case of a 46-year-old man who was found dead by his tenant in a flat in April last year.

Mr Tai Min Wah, who was living with his mother and two tenants, had a known history of epilepsy, stroke and high cholesterol.

However, the forensic findings from the autopsy meant it was “not possible to pinpoint a definite cause of death”, said Coroner Prem Raj Prabakaran in a set of findings made available on Thursday (Jul 27).

WHAT HAPPENED

Mr Tai shared the master bedroom in the flat with his mother, who slept on a mattress on the floor.

His parents had divorced in 1998 and his father lived with his sister.

On Apr 13, 2022, Mr Tai’s mother left the flat to visit her sister in Malaysia. She bid her son goodbye and did not notice anything unusual about him.

Two days later, Mr Tai’s mother called his mobile phone seven to eight times to check on him, but Mr Tai did not pick up.

The elderly woman called again on Apr 16 but could not reach her son.

This time, Mr Tai’s mother contacted one of the tenants who was in the flat and asked her to check on her son.

The tenant had last seen Mr Tai alive on the evening of Apr 13.

Mr Tai’s mother stayed on the line while the tenant knocked on the bedroom door, the court heard.

Mr Tai’s mother then asked the tenant to open the door, which was unlocked, and she did. 

The tenant shouted and told Mr Tai’s mother that her son was lying motionless on the bed, and that his face had turned black.

The tenant kept crying and told Mr Tai that she would seek help from the neighbours. 

A person known only as “Mr Edmond” called the police to report the discovery of Mr Tai’s body, and officers headed down.

Sergeant Faizul Nenwari entered the flat and saw Mr Tai lying face-up on the bed in a shirt and boxers. He observed that Mr Tai’s face and stomach were bloated, with the area around his neck black.

He also saw dried red liquid around Mr Tai’s nose and mouth. The lights in the room were off, the windows were shut and the air-conditioning in the bedroom was on.

A COVID-19 antigen rapid test with a positive result was found on a cabinet next to Mr Tai’s body, but it could not be confirmed when this test had been conducted and if it belonged to Mr Tai.

Paramedics pronounced Mr Tai dead at 3.14pm that day, noting that the body was “almost decomposed” and that rigor mortis had set in.

The police searched the room and found straws and glass apparatuses with methamphetamine inside, along with medications prescribed to Mr Tai, including aspirin.

AUTOPSY

An autopsy on Mr Tai’s body detected two drugs in his system – paracetamol and phenytoin, which is used to treat epilepsy.

However, there was no definite evidence that Mr Tai had consumed other drugs such as meth before his death. There was also no definite evidence that he had COVID-19 at the time of his death.

The cause of death was eventually determined to be “unascertained” because there was no definite anatomical or toxicological cause of death found.

The forensic pathologist on the case said it was possible that epilepsy could be a cause of death, but said that decompositional changes to the body might have “obnubilated” or obscured the contribution of any other cause of death.

Medical records showed that Mr Tai had a history of recurrent generalised convulsions since 1994. He was diagnosed with epilepsy in 1997 and had been taking phenytoin for this since 2010.

He was admitted to hospital in November 2021 for double vision, and diagnosed to have had multiple small strokes. He recovered well and was discharged that same month and given medication.

He had a criminal record for drug offences including meth consumption, but he was last convicted in 2012 and sentenced to nine years’ jail. He was not convicted again after his release in 2017.

His father and sister did not have any concerns over his death and did not suspect any foul play.

His mother, who was the closest to him, said Mr Tai had suffered a “mild stroke” in October 2021 and had fits since a motorcycle accident about 10 years ago.

She said her son was a reserved person and did not share his personal problems with others. He also had no mental issues or depression, she said.

She also said she had never seen her son under the influence of drugs.

The tenant who had discovered the body could not be contacted as she had moved out by the time the investigation officer attempted to record a statement from her.

The identity of “Mr Edmond” also could not be established.

The coroner said there was no basis to suspect foul play in Mr Tai’s demise. While he was pronounced dead on Apr 16, 2022, it was likely that he had died earlier, before 7.30pm on Apr 15.

He expressed his deepest condolences to Mr Tai’s family for their loss.