S'porean woman's suspected killer in Spain described as muscular with expensive taste

Samuel Devaraj and Chin Hui Shan
The Straits Times
April 20, 2024

The man who appeared in court in connection with the death of Singaporean architect Audrey Fang in Spain has been identified as one Mitchell Ong.

The 43-year-old suspect is said to have been known to Ms Fang, who told a former colleague about Ong a few years ago, Spanish media outlet La Verdad reported on April 20.

Ms Fang, 39, went missing while on holiday in Xabia, in south-eastern Spain. She was seen alive on April 9 at 8.45pm (2.45am, Singapore time, April 10) on closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.

The Civil Guard, which is one of Spain’s two national police forces, said information and images from CCTV cameras at the hotel showed that she was picked up by a vehicle when she left the hotel.

#OperacionesGC I Detenido el presunto autor del homicidio de una mujer en Abanilla (#Murcia)

El cuerpo sin vida de la mujer, natural de Singapur, fue localizado el pasado día 10 de abril en una explanada próxima al estacionamiento de un restaurante

Los investigadores… pic.twitter.com/zN8BBkWqPv

— Guardia Civil (@guardiacivil) April 19, 2024

Her body was found the next day at a lorry park around 150km away, or about two hours’ drive from her hotel. She was reportedly stabbed more than 30 times.

The suspect was arrested in his hotel room on April 16 in Alicante, which is about 80km away from the area where Ms Fang’s hotel is located.

The suspect was on April 19 escorted to a court in Murcia, in south-eastern Spain. He was not named then, as is the custom in Spain.

He was photographed in handcuffs, being led by two Spanish Civil Guard officers. In the photo, he appeared to be a tall man.

According to media reports, Ong is described as being muscular, with a taste for expensive clothes. He allegedly often stayed in luxury hotels and rented high-end cars.

A spokeswoman for the Civil Guard had earlier told The Straits Times that the suspect may have been in a romantic relationship with Ms Fang.

“We are still investigating the motive for this killing. There are various possible motives, which could be economic or a case of domestic violence.”

In response to ST’s queries, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said it has been assisting its Spanish counterparts with the case.

Said the spokesman: “As the incident had happened in Spain, the SPF has and will continue to render the necessary assistance to the Spanish authorities within the ambit of our laws.”

Ms Fang had travelled alone to Xabia on April 4. It was not her first solo trip.

She told her family that she might be meeting a friend in Spain, but did not disclose the person’s identity.

Hotel staff alerted the authorities on April 9 when they discovered her belongings in her room. She had not returned to the hotel.

Ms Fang’s family filed a report on April 11 with Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs after she became uncontactable from April 10.

She was supposed to return on April 12, flying home from Barcelona. Her brother made a police report that day when she did not show up at Changi Airport, where he had gone to pick her up.

Ms Fang, who was single, lived with her father and younger brother. She was due to start a new job in May after a trip to Japan with her aunt and cousin at the end of April.

When she went missing, her family searched for clues on social media platforms and contacted a friend of hers, reported La Verdad.

The suspect had indicated he was in Alicante on April 4. His social media account shows he is 1.88m tall and a gym enthusiast.

Ms Fang’s family identified her body at a morgue in Murcia on April 18.

The court magistrate on April 19 said that her body can be returned to her family for repatriation to Singapore.