Two children were killed in Singapore in 1981; three adults were convicted of murder.
Updated 16 Aug 2026
Agnes Ng Siew Heok disappeared from Toa Payoh on 24 January 1981, and Ghazali bin Marzuki disappeared less than two weeks later. Evidence connected both deaths to a nearby flat occupied by Adrian Lim, Tan Mui Choo, and Hoe Kah Hong. [1]
The three accused were tried in Singapore’s High Court in 1983. Their diminished-responsibility defences were rejected, and all three were convicted of murder. The Court of Appeal later dismissed the appeals brought by Tan and Hoe. [2]
4 sourced milestones
Major events in the case, shown in chronological order.
Nine-year-old Agnes Ng Siew Heok disappeared in Toa Payoh and was later found dead, beginning the police investigation.
Source: National Library Board Singapore ↗Ten-year-old Ghazali bin Marzuki was killed less than two weeks later, and evidence connected both crimes to the same household.
Source: National Library Board Singapore ↗After a 41-day trial, Adrian Lim, Tan Mui Choo, and Hoe Kah Hong were convicted and sentenced to death for the two murders.
Source: National Library Board Singapore ↗After the relevant appeals were dismissed, Lim, Tan, and Hoe were executed at Changi Prison more than five years after the trial.
Source: National Library Board Singapore ↗1 video
A Singapore-produced documentary segment examining the case and the diminished-responsibility arguments at trial.
Play here or open the original video on YouTube.
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