From a floating lady in white to bloodstains on the steps, the deadly past of Amber Beacon Tower has made it one of the most haunted spot in Singapore.
After over three decades, the grisly attack on a young couple at the Amber Beacon Tower remains one of the most heinous and mysterious murder ever committed in Singapore.
The Encounter
On 15 May 1990, 21-year-old Kelly Tan Ah Hong and 22-year-old James Soh were spending the night out at East Coast Park. Both knew each other for almost a decade and it was just two days ago when they started dating.
After a long walk along the park, the couple decided to take a break at the Amber Beacon Tower, not realizing the tragic attack that is about to happen.
The Attack
Soh and Tan sat at the spiral staircase and were chatting about their day when two men appeared and walked up the stairs to the top. Impervious to the behavior of the strangers, the couple continued their conversation.
The two men — now masked to conceal their identities — stormed down from the top and attacked the couple from behind; Soh was knifed in the back while Tan was stabbed in the neck.
Soh fought back and threw one of the assailant over the railing while Tan ran to the ground floor in a desperate attempt to get help.
The two assailants escaped the scene after the attack on the couple.
The Rescue
Soh got to the bottom of the tower only to find Tan lying on the ground in pain. Unable to pick her up, Soh hobbled to the nearby Singa Inn Seafood Restaurant (now demolished) to get help. Soh collapsed in the restaurant shortly after explaining that Tan was stabbed at the beacon tower and needs help.
The couple immediately sent to Singapore General Hospital. Soh regained consciousness two days later only to be informed that Tan had succumbed to her injuries.
The Investigation
Due to the gruesomeness of the attack as well as the massive public attention the murder has received, an investigation was carried out by the Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) Special Investigation Section.
In a statement by Soh, the assailant who attacked him is said to be approximately 1.70m tall and had short hair while the other had curly black hair and is about 1.67m tall.
Initial investigations posited that the killers are foreigners and intended to only rob the couple. This was quickly dismissed due to the gruesomeness of the attack and the fact that none of the couple’s valuable were stolen.
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Members of the public have speculated that this may been the result of a staring incident that occurred before the attacks.
In spite of weeks of investigations, little evidence can be found:
- Soh did not see the assailant’s faces as they were masked, neither did he hear their voices as they did not speak throughout the attack.
- No weapon or fingerprint was recovered at the scene.
- Interview with patrons at Singa Inn and joggers in the vicinity failed to reveal any conclusive evidence
In 1992, two years after the incident, the Tan family offered a $30,000 reward for any information relating to the assailants. A public appearance was also made by the family on Crimewatch, a popular crime investigation show, to appeal for anyone who has information about the murders to come forward.
Over the years, the Singapore Police Force continues to conduct reviews of the Amber Beacon Tower murder case in hopes of shedding a new light on the horrific attack. However, after over three decades of investigations, the murderers continue to be at large.
The Haunting
Since the incident, it is said that Amber Beacon tower is haunted by a female apparition dressed in white. Many who jog past the tower at the time of the attack reportedly hear wailing sound at the top of the tower. Others visiting the tower reported seeing droplets of fresh bloodstain on the steps and railing.
It is said that the unrest soul of Kelly Tan Ah Hong continues to haunt the Amber Beacon Tower until the murderers are apprehended.
Wow, this is so sad. Why do people murder?!