Honestly, this is one of those stories that refuses to stay buried. You think you’ve heard all the dark chapters of Singapore history already. Then this one comes back and punches you in the gut.
Let’s talk about the Geylang Bahru family murders. January 6, 1979. No sugarcoating. No dramatics. Just facts, context, and the uncomfortable questions nobody ever answered.
A Normal Morning That Turned Into a Nightmare
That morning started like any other. Mr and Mrs Tan Kuen Chai left their one-room HDB flat at Block 58 Geylang Bahru before sunrise. They ran a school bus service. Hustling, working hard, trying to give their kids a better life. Very Singapore, right?
Their four children were still asleep.
The plan was simple. Drive students to school. Call home later to wake the kids up. Same routine, every day.
But here’s where things go very wrong.
Mrs Tan called home at 7.10am. No answer. She tried again. And again. Still nothing. Uneasy already, she asked a neighbour to help knock on the door.
No response.
By the time the parents returned home after 10am, the worst fear imaginable was waiting for them.
What They Found Inside the Flat
All four children were dead. Slashed. Brutally.
They were found in the bathroom, wearing their usual T-shirts and pants. No signs of struggle outside. No forced entry. No ransacking. Nothing stolen.
This wasn’t a burglary gone wrong. This was targeted. Personal. Cold.
The injuries were horrifying. Each child had at least 20 slash wounds. One boy’s arm was almost severed. The youngest, just five years old, had deep wounds on her face.
Let that sink in for a second. This wasn’t quick. This wasn’t panic. This was rage.
So Who Were the Victims?
Three brothers and their little sister.
- Tan Kok Peng, 10
- Tan Kok Hin, 8
- Tan Kok Soon, 6
- Tan Chin Nee, 5
The boys studied at Bendemeer Road Primary School. The girl attended a nearby kindergarten. Normal kids. Schoolbags. Homework. Toys.
The kind of kids you’d see running along the corridor, barefoot, laughing, annoying the neighbours. Gone in one morning.
No Forced Entry Means One Thing
Here’s the thing. The police found no signs of forced entry. The flat wasn’t broken into. That means the killer didn’t sneak in.
They were let in.
Or they already had access.
That alone narrowed things down. Whoever did this knew the family. Knew their routine. Knew the parents wouldn’t be home. Knew the kids would still be asleep.
Also, there were bloodstains in the kitchen sink. The killer cleaned up before leaving. Calm enough to wash up. Careful enough to avoid leaving evidence.
This wasn’t some random madman.
The Chilling Chinese New Year Letter
Two weeks later, things got even darker.
The Tans received a Chinese New Year card. Cute illustration. Happy children playing.
Inside was a message that still makes people uncomfortable decades later.
“Now you can have no more offspring ha-ha-ha.”
Signed: “The murderer.”
It was written in Mandarin. Worse, the sender addressed the parents using their nicknames, “Ah Chai” and “Ah Eng”. Names only people close to them would know.
And here’s the truly cruel part. Mrs Tan had been sterilised after giving birth to her daughter. The sender knew that.
This wasn’t just murder. This was psychological torture.
Investigation Hits a Wall
The police treated this as premeditated murder. Special Investigation Section got involved. Over 100 neighbours interviewed. Public appeals made.
Still, nothing solid.
Some residents claimed a witness saw the youngest child struggling with a man from another block. That witness vanished.
Another claimed to see a bloodstained couple leaving the area. Turned out to be fake.
One neighbour said she normally sat outside watching children play, but that morning she was washing her hair and saw nothing. Talk about the worst timing in human history.
A taxi driver later reported picking up a man with bloodstains, carrying a knife, near the area. He even identified a neighbour known to the family as “Uncle”. That man was detained, lined up, questioned.
Released. No evidence.
Just like that, another dead end.
The Rumours That Never Went Away
Now, this is where things get messy.
Over the years, whispers started circulating. Illegal gambling. Tontine schemes. Gang connections. Unpaid debts. Lottery winnings that went wrong.
One popular rumour claimed the parents bought lottery tickets on behalf of a gang member. The number came out. Dispute happened. Money was involved. Revenge followed.
After the murders, the parents sold their bus and allegedly returned the money.
Is it proven? No.
But does it explain the silence? Maybe.
Back then, Singapore was not the sterilised, safe bubble we know today. People carried parangs openly. Some kids bragged about robberies like it was a hobby. Fear ruled neighbourhoods.
If threats were real, silence made sense.
Aftermath: A House Full of Emptiness
The children were buried together the next day. Along with their schoolbags, books, and toys. Mrs Tan collapsed multiple times during the burial.
Their flat was later described as “four walls of emptiness”. Imagine going home every day knowing your entire world was wiped out in minutes.
They gave up their bus business. Took factory jobs. Tried to survive.
Eventually, they applied to adopt children. Mrs Tan even underwent a sterilisation reversal. Against all odds, she gave birth to a baby boy in 1983.
Life moved on. Justice didn’t.
This wasn’t just a crime. It shook the police. It horrified the public. It remains one of the most brutal murders in Singapore’s history.
And till today, nobody was held accountable.
No closure. No answers. Just speculation and silence.
Between You & Me
Between you and me, this case feels less like a mystery and more like a secret everyone decided to lock away. Too many people knew something. Too many stories lined up just enough to feel uncomfortable.
Back then, fear could shut mouths fast. And once time passes, memories blur, witnesses disappear, and truth becomes optional.
What scares me isn’t just the killer never being caught. It’s the idea that sometimes, everyone knows… but nobody dares to say.
And that, honestly, is scarier than any horror movie.
