Suspect held for medical evaluation after allegedly killing Vietnamese neighbor in Singapore over noise dispute

The prosecutor said the suspect would be held at Changi Prison’s medical center for physical and mental health assessments before the case is transferred to the High Court of Singapore, according to Mothership. The next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 30.

The murder happened on the morning of Sept. 24 at Block 323 Yishun Central, daily newspaper The Straits Times said. The victim was stabbed in the chest during the attack.

Witnesses said they heard loud screams coming from the sixth-floor hallway and found the woman unconscious while her husband tried to fend off the assailant and called neighbors for help.

The attack resulted in the death of Nguyen Phuong Tra at the hospital, and left her 33-year-old husband seriously injured. The couple’s two young children, thought to be aged two and five, were taken to safety by neighbors.

The police said Koh was also injured and taken to the hospital along with the victims. The next day, while still in hospital, he was charged with murder by a field magistrate.

The police cordoned off the entire sixth floor to collect evidence, including a knife, a phone, sandals, and the victims’ car keys.

Residents said the dispute between the couple and the suspect had been going on for years, mainly over children playing, and remained unresolved despite multiple interventions by authorities and attempts to resolve it in the community court.