Skeletal remains of man, 71, found in Geylang flat, last seen by neighbours 1 year ago

Two building painters were painting the exterior of a Sims Place HDB flat on Mar. 28 when one of them suddenly saw skeletal remains in one of the units through the flat's window.

After police officers were called to the scene, they found a 71-year-old man lying motionless in the unit, and the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, the deceased's neighbours said that he lived alone in the flat, and they had never seen any relatives visiting him over the last seven years.

The last time they had spotted the deceased was around a year ago.

Painter alerted police

When Shin Min reporters visited the public housing block at around 4pm on Mar. 28, they saw a notice on the ground floor informing residents of ongoing renovation projects.

One of the projects was to paint the block's exterior, which was expected to run from Mar. 10 to May 10.

A gondola had been installed outside the block.

One of the building painters told the Chinese daily that when he noticed a foul smell while passing by the deceased's unit, he "immediately alerted his manager and called the police".

According to the other painter, the skeletal remains were found on a bed inside the flat's bedroom.

No electricity in deceased's unit

When Shin Min reporters arrived at the deceased's unit, it had already been cordoned off by the police.

As the unit was dark, officers had to investigate its interior while carrying flashlights.

Shin Min surmised that the flat's electricity and water had been cut off because the utility bills had been left unpaid for months.

On the unit's door, the reporters saw a notice dated Sep. 6 and Sep. 16, 2024, notifying the deceased to change the flat's alarm system.

Several neighbours shared that they had seen police officers visiting the flat multiple times previously, but no one answered the door.

Deceased was a scrap dealer: neighbour

According to Shin Min, piles of items could be found inside the bedroom and living room.

A neighbour told the Chinese daily that the deceased used to be a scrap dealer who would bring metal cans and used items to his home.

Another resident said the deceased would "only come out at night" and rarely interact with his neighbours.

Police statement

In response to Mothership's queries, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) confirmed they received a call for assistance regarding the incident at around 2:10pm on Mar. 28.

Based on preliminary investigations, the police do not suspect foul play.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Top images via Shin Min Daily News