Father who murdered pregnant wife and 4-year-old child hanged in Singapore (2025)

SINGAPORE – In a case that sent shockwaves through the nation, former property agent Teo Ghim Heng was executed on April 16, 2025, for the 2017 murders of his pregnant wife and young daughter.

Teo, 49, had been on death row for strangling his wife, who was six months pregnant, and their four-year-old child in their Woodlands flat.

Authorities confirmed his hanging at Changi Prison, stating that his trial and appeals had fully exhausted Singapore’s judicial processes.

According to a Straits Times report, Teo received no clemency — the President rejected his petitions in the weeks before the execution.

The court labeled his crimes a “cold and calculating act” that merited the harshest penalty under Singapore law.

Teo’s story stands as a grim reminder of how intense pressures—financial strain, mental distress, and deteriorating domestic harmony — can erupt into catastrophic violence behind closed doors.

As Singapore moves forward from this tragedy, many are reflecting on whether better support systems might have averted such a loss of life, and how society might learn to intervene sooner when families face severe crisis.

From financial trouble to fatal violence

Court documents reveal that Teo’s financial downfall played a major role in the tragedy. He had been a successful agent until a property slump, accumulated gambling debts, and mounting bills left him in turmoil.

By late 2016, Teo was said to owe roughly S$120,000 while also facing a collapsing job market.

The family’s tension peaked on January 20, 2017, when Teo’s wife, Choong Pei Shan, confronted him over unpaid school fees for their daughter.

In a fit of rage, he strangled his wife and then turned to kill his child.

As recounted by Mothership, the unthinkable occurred in mere minutes: a family of three, plus an unborn baby, was destroyed in a single morning.

For over a week, Teo hid the bodies in their Woodlands flat, sleeping next to them with the air-conditioner on full blast. He even attempted to set the corpses on fire, claiming a failed “suicide pact,” a story later dismantled by investigators.

When relatives noticed the family’s absence during Chinese New Year, they alerted police—leading to Teo’s eventual arrest.

The trial and final judgment

During trial, Teo admitted responsibility but argued that depression had impaired his control.

He hoped the court would consider a lesser charge of culpable homicide, given his alleged mental fragility. Yet judges found his actions too deliberate for a diagnosis of major depressive disorder to mitigate murder charges.

According to Yahoo News, the court cited Teo’s post-killing behavior—fabricating suicide notes, lying to relatives, attempting to stage a fire — as proof he was fully aware of his wrongdoing.

Prosecutors emphasized that Teo’s elaborate cover-up showed consciousness of guilt, undermining any claim of diminished responsibility.

In November 2020, the High Court sentenced Teo to death.

He appealed, but Singapore’s Court of Appeal upheld the conviction, ruling that any stress or provocation he felt did not excuse premeditated murder.

After his legal avenues were exhausted, Teo submitted clemency petitions to the President, all of which were denied.

On April 16, 2025, he was hanged — eight years after the original crimes.

Lessons from a domestic tragedy

Teo’s case has prompted discussions about the complicated factors that spark lethal domestic violence.

He was deeply indebted, emotionally strained, and seemingly lacked a robust support system to manage his anxiety before events spiraled into violence.

In a society where mental health is still stigmatized, individuals under extreme stress may be reluctant to seek help until it’s too late.

This tragedy also underscores how vulnerable pregnant women and children can be when family tensions turn violent.

Activists point out that no financial crisis or marital clash should ever rationalize lethal outcomes, but Teo’s story highlights just how easily desperation can become deadly.

Friends and neighbors who notice signs of distress — large debts, angry outbursts, or sudden withdrawals—are encouraged to reach out or involve professional services.

Singapore’s decision to carry out capital punishment for Teo’s crime demonstrates the state’s unwavering stance on murder, especially when young lives are taken.

Yet some observers question whether such punishments deter future offenders or address the root issues—like debt management, mental health access, and domestic violence support.

For them, the conversation continues: how can society intervene sooner to prevent such tragedies?

Moving forward as a community

For many Singaporeans, the Woodlands murders remain a haunting reminder that behind closed doors, family dynamics can hide severe turmoil.

Teo managed to keep his debt and emotional breakdown secret until it erupted into horrifying violence.

Relatives and neighbors were caught off-guard, suggesting that a collective effort to spot warning signs might help prevent similar incidents.

As harsh as Teo’s punishment was, the deeper lesson may be about recognizing and addressing distress before it turns catastrophic.

Domestic violence experts note that if trouble is brewing—whether due to financial woes, emotional strain, or mental health decline — social support systems should be more accessible and judgment-free.

Communities can also play a crucial role, encouraging dialogue around tough subjects like financial ruin or mental instability without shame.

While Teo’s life ended on the gallows, the heartbreak of his wife and child’s deaths continues to linger in public memory. It stands as a stark cautionary tale about the repercussions of letting a crisis fester unchecked.

If anything positive can emerge, it might be a renewed commitment to tackle stigmas around mental health, debts, and domestic conflict — ensuring that people in dire straits know they can seek help rather than suffer in silence.