About a week ago, news outlets reported that a Singaporean woman had been stabbed to death in Spain.
In investigating her murder, a pair of limited edition S$1,360 shoes has became a crucial piece of evidence.
The Body Was Found Two Weeks Ago
The body of 39-year-old Audrey Fang Di Rou was found with 30 stab wounds about 150km away from her hotel in Xabia – where she was said to be last seen alive on 9 April.
Although her body was found on 10 April, the authorities could not identify the body until days later.
Suspect Has Been Arrested, His Shoes Are Important Evidence
On 16 April, a Singaporean man, suspected of involvement in the murder of Ms Fang, was arrested in his hotel in Alicante, a little over 60km away from where Ms Fang’s body was found in Abanilla.
The suspect, 43-year-old Mitchell Ong, appeared in court on 19 April.
Spanish media outlet La Verdad de Murcia reported that a S$1,360 pair of limited edition Nike shoes found in Ong’s room when he was arrested are of interest to detectives investigating the case.
Cash in the form of €3,760 (S$5,473) and S$1,000 was also found in the room and seized. Ms Fang’s phone was also found to be in Ong’s possession, La Verdad added.
Shoes’ Soil Sample Sent for Analysis
La Verdad reported that the soles of the Nike shoes match the footprints found at the crime scene. A sample of the soil embedded in the soles has since been sent by the Spanish Civil Guard for laboratory analysis to find out if it matches the soil found on Ms Fang’s body.
They also aim to contrast the sample with sandstone found in the Abanilla region, where Ms Fang’s body was discovered.
The police are particularly interested in the shoes found as they are exclusive. The shoes retail for S$1,360 on luxury clothing website Farfetch. The shoe is European size 48.5, which corresponds with Ong’s build and 1.88m height.
More Evidence Against Ong
A judge in the Magistrate’s Court of Cieza, which is overseeing this case, noted that the suspect wore different clothes when he left and returned to his hotel on the evening of 9 April, when Ms Fang was last seen.
Closed-circuit television cameras at the hotel where Ong was staying showed him leaving the hotel at around 5:45pm, wearing a hoodie and black pants.
He returned to the hotel hours later at around 2:06am on 10 April, donning a blue sweater and jeans.
On 9 April, Ms Fang was last seen alive when she was picked up in a black car from her hotel in Xabia at 8:45pm.
After police identified the car’s registration details, they traced the car’s route and found out that it had travelled from near a hotel in Alicante, then to Xabia, before heading to the town of Abanilla.
Reminder: Ong was staying in Alicante while Ms Fang was staying in Xabia. Her body was discovered in Abanilla.
According to Spanish news outlet Levante El Mercantil Valenciano, Ms Fang and Ong’s mobile phones were together in Abanilla on the day she died.
It added that she was not sexually assaulted and that the two had been acquainted for may years.
Notably, prior to her death, Ms Fang had told her family that she might be meeting with a friend in Spain, though she did not disclose the friend’s identity to them.
Based on data provided by mobile phone operators in Abanilla, the judge said it is inferred “without a doubt” that the two were in the same area and in the same time slot on the day of the stabbing.
Ong Is Being Remanded In Police Custody
Ong is currently held in police custody, pending investigations.
The judge noted that Ong is a Singaporean man with no roots in Spain, and has “sufficient economic capacity” to flee the country.
Due to the seriousness of the offence, as well as his label as a possible flight risk, he will remain in jail.
Both the prosecutor’s office and the Spanish lawyer hired by Ms Fang’s family, Manuel Martínez, have demanded that Ong’s remand be extended.
Possible “Economic Motive”
Levante El Mercantil Valenciano reported that there was a possible “economic motive” for the killing, and mentioned that Ms Fang had supposedly transferred money to an unidentified third person.
La Verdad also reported that sources spoke to them of a possible “economic motive”, further supporting Levante El Mercantil Valenciano‘s report. La Verdad added that Ms Fang was involved in a type of investment fraud.
While economic motive seems to be a possible motive for murder, it is not ruled out that the killing could have been motivated by a sentimental issue.
In the mean time, netizens have been leaving comments on Ong’s Instagram page.
Some are sneering at him as his Instagram bio reads: “Loved by Many. Feared by none. Cos I am nice,” which some find ironic.
