[2] The victim was identified as 50-year-old Sim Ah Lek, who worked as a contractor and also engaged in illegal money lending activities.

[7] On 16 July 1993, a day after the discovery of the body, a 36-year-old suspect was arrested for killing Sim Ah Lek, after 39 hours of police investigations.

[8] The suspect, Phua Soy Boon, a jobless Singaporean who lived at a flat in Jurong's Yung Kuang Road, was charged on 17 July 1993 with murder.

[14][15] It was also mentioned in the charge sheet that Phua had killed Sim inside his home at Yung Kuang Road.

Phua added that his financial situation worsened to the extent that he had to borrow from his two elder brothers, the younger of whom worked as a police officer.

On 19 April 1994, 36-year-old Phua Soy Boon stood trial at the High Court for killing Sim Ah Lek.

Phua was represented by defence lawyer Choo Han Teck, while the trial prosecutors were P. Arul Selvamalar and Kan Shuk Weng of the Attorney-General's Chambers.

They also pointed out that Phua took away the deceased's belongings, which showed he had robbery in his mind when he fatally chopped Sim and he even calmly disposed of the corpse after the grisly killing.

[28] On 16 June 1995, for the charge of murdering Sim Ah Lek, 37-year-old Phua Soy Boon was put to death by hanging at dawn.

[30][31] In September 1996, Singaporean crime show Crimewatch re-enacted the Sim Ah Lek murder case and aired it on television.