Woman, 35, murders adoptive father in Sengkang: Deceased's siblings want to stop jailed killer from inheriting flat

The family of the man who was killed in his Sengkang flat by his adopted daughter has gone to the courts to prevent the jailed murderer from inheriting his estate.

It was previously reported that on Nov. 3, 2022, Tan Qiu Yan, 35, hacked her adoptive father, Tan Ah Bang, 67, to death with a chopper.

The killing was motivated by an asset dispute between the two, and she was sentenced to 18 years' jail for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Shin Min Daily News has now reported that the family of Tan Ah Bang has gone to the courts to prevent Tan Qiu Yan from inheriting her adoptive father's estate, including the Sengkang flat that was the subject of the dispute.

Background

During sentencing, Tan Qiu Yan was found to suffer from a delusional disorder and believed that her adoptive father would kick her out of their flat.

Her adoptive mother, Koh Li Hua, had previously promised to leave her share of the Sengkang flat to her adopted daughter.

After Koh passed away, Tan Qiu Yan and Tan Ah Bang began to argue over the assets, leading her to purchase a chopper in September 2022 and plan the act.

She killed him two months later after he denied sharing ownership of the flat with her.

She hacked at his neck more than 45 times with the blade.

Afterwards, she called the police.

New developments

According to Shin Min, a woman named Tan Ya He (transliteration) filed an application to the courts to block Tan Qiu Yan as the inheritor of the estate.

She confirmed that she was Tan Ah Bang's second sister and said the deceased's other sisters jointly shared S$30,000 in legal fees to file the suit.

"We will not forgive her," Tan Ya He told Shin Min.

"Those are my younger brother's things, and we would definitely want to get it back. We will not touch [Tan Qiu Yan's] things, such as what her adoptive mother left to her – she probably has S$60,000 with her."

She shared that her brother and his wife had raised Tan Qiu Yan since she was little and supported her through her university education.

However, Tan Qiu Yan was never able to hold a job for long.

She also wondered why she had to kill her adoptive father, saying, "If she just waited a while until her father passed away, all his assets would eventually be hers."

She further lamented:

"She has already killed my younger brother, why would we give her his things? Is that right? Can anyone just kill their parents and take away their assets?"

Assets in question

Tan Ya He also revealed to Shin Min that her brother's estate included Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings, his bank account, and the four-room flat.

However, she said she did not know the exact amount or value of the assets.

If the family members of the deceased man are able to recover his assets, they will divide it among themselves, she added.

When asked about her brother's reluctance to hand over ownership of the flat to his adopted daughter, Tan Ya He said he had once shared that he had plans for his retirement.

He was preparing to sell his flat and move into a smaller one in the event that he needed money, and believed his daughter could still work or marry.

According to legal experts who spoke to Shin Min, the convicted murderer may have automatically forfeited her right to inherit the property as a prisoner given that she had committed the murder.

In such a case, if Tan Ah Bang left a will, the estate will go to the other beneficiaries.

If he did not, his assets will be returned to the state.

Tan Qiu Yan is also still able to hire a lawyer to represent her in this inheritance dispute, it was reported.

The aftermath

Tan Ah Bang was the seventh of eight siblings, according to Tan Ya He.

He had one older brother, five older sisters, and one younger sister.

Tan Ya He claimed that she had a good relationship with her siblings, and occasionally met for meals or holidays.

Whenever she visited her brother, Tan Qiu Yan would stay in the room.

Tan Ya He added that the door to her brother's flat is still locked to this day, and that they are unable to enter to retrieve his belongings.

Shin Min reporters visited the flat and confirmed that the door was locked and covered in dust.

The nearby electricity meter box contained some of Tan Qiu Yan's belongings, including a parcel box, slippers, and a broom.

Tan Ya He also tearfully shared that her brother's remains were mutilated as Tan Qiu Yan had hacked his body to pieces.

The police did not let his family see his body, as they thought they would be too upset.

His body was subsequently cremated.

"We will never see her again. Even after she is released from prison, we will not help her. She will have to follow fate," Tan Ya He said.