Beach Road murder: Woman was allegedly beaten to death, suspect's wife called police

A renovation firm director was charged on Friday (Nov 18) with the murder of his business partner in Beach Road.

Caleb Joshua Chai Shanmugam, 50, is accused of killing Ms Ang Qi Ying, 27, in a ground floor unit at Block 2 Beach Road on Nov 9, at around 7pm.

Ms Ang was reportedly missing for days before being found in the shop on Nov 13, reported The Straits Times.

Chai had left for Malaysia on Nov 10. He was caught in Johor Bahru on Nov 16 and handed over to the Singapore police.

The two were co-directors of renovation company Smart Click Services, which is registered to an address at Peninsula Plaza.

According to Shin Min Daily News, the suspect told his wife that he had killed someone following the incident. She called the police on Nov 13, which led the murder to come to light.

In a Nov 18 article titled, 'Missing and murdered woman suspected of being punched to death', Shin Min also reported that there were no lacerations on Ms Ang's body. She is suspected to have been killed by heavy blows from the suspect.

After allegedly committing the murder, the suspect turned down the air-conditioning to the lowest level to slow down decomposition of the body before fleeing for Malaysia, the Chinese evening daily reported.

One of Chai's lawyers told ST that her client was charged at Changi General Hospital with the murder, but she did not have information on why he was at the hospital.

The case has been adjourned to Nov 25.

Offenders convicted of murder will face the death penalty.