[4] On 2 April 1985, at his restaurant in River Valley Road, 43-year-old Vincent Loke Kok Nam (陆国楠 Lù Guònán) was shot dead by a customer, who was identified three years later as Lim Keng Peng.
The motive for the killing was unknown, and the police were unable to identify a possible suspect in the case, despite getting the description that the gunman was left-handed.
[9] Singaporean crime show Crimewatch re-enacted the shooting of Vincent Loke and aired it on television in March 1986, and the police sent a public appeal through the episode for information to solve the case.
[11] On 18 December 1985, eight months after he committed his first murder, 32-year-old Lim Keng Peng once again killed a person; his second victim was a police detective.
The injured officer, 41-year-old detective Goh Ah Khia[c] (吴亚仔 Wú Yàzǎi), died the next day due to the gunshot wound in his chest.
His wife reportedly told the press that she was proud of her husband, who died an honourable death while discharging his duties as a policeman.
[15][16] As a result of the detective's murder, 32-year-old Lim Keng Peng was immediately placed among the top ten suspects on the police's wanted list.
[17][18] The police sent out public appeals for information leading up to the arrest of Lim on the charge of murdering Detective Goh Ah Khia.
[22] Crimewatch, a Singaporean crime show, re-enacted the case of Detective Goh's murder and aired it on television in June 1987, and the police also sent out another appeal to the Singaporean public to raise awareness of Lim's case and encourage members of the public to come forward should they have any information about Lim's whereabouts.
[27][28] When she was asked about Lim's death, Detective Goh's widow stated that ever since receiving the news, her bitterness over the loss of her husband faded and she found closure.
[45][46][47] As for the officers who participated in the police ambush, they were praised for their bravery and professionalism, and awards were issued to those who played instrumental roles in ensuring the elimination of Lim.
[48][49] Singaporean crime show Crimewatch re-enacted the case of Lim Keng Peng for the second time and aired it on television in June 2003.