Solved Murders - True Crime Stories - A raw history of Singapore’s death penalty from colonial times to today’s hangings #6

Episode Date: July 10, 2025

#horrorstories #reddithorrorstories #ScaryStories #creepypasta #horrortales #deathpenalty #Singapore #truecrime #colonialhistory #capitalpunishment  This narrative dives deep into the grim past and present of Singapore’s use of the death penalty. From the harsh methods imposed during colonial rule to the legal hangings today, the story highlights the human costs, moral questions, and societal impacts of this ultimate punishment.  horrorstories, reddithorrorstories, scarystories, horrorstory, creepypasta, horrortales, deathpenalty, truecrime, capitalpunishment, execution, Singaporehistory, colonialism, justice, law, humanrights, crime, legalhistory, punishment, darkhistory, ethics

There's so much rugby on Sports Extra from Sky. They've asked me to read the whole lad at the same speed I usually use for the legal bit at the end. Here goes. This winter Sports Extra is jam-packed with rugby. For the first time we've been every Champions Cup match exclusively live, plus action from the URC, the Challenge Cup, and much more. Thus the URC and all the best European rugby all in the same place.

Get more exclusively live tournaments than ever before on Sports Extra. Jampack with rugby. Phew, that is a lot of rugby. Get Sports Extra on Sky for 15 euro a month for 12 months. Search Sports Extra. New Sports Extra customers only. Standard Pressing applies after 12 months for the terms apply. Don't let foot pain or discomfort hold you back.

At foot Solutions, we specialize in high-quality supportive footwear. And use the latest scanning technology to custom-make orthotics, designed for your unique feet. If you want to free your feet in joints from pain, improve balance or correct alignment, book a free foot assessment at footsolutions.com.com. Or pop-in store today. Foot Solutions, the first step towards pain-free feet. Let me take you on a long, raw, and brutally honest ride through the history of capital punishment in Singapore. This isn't your typical classroom history lesson, so buckle up, because this one is layered with colonial legacies, policy shifts, drug wars, public outrage, and a whole lot of hangings.

Yeah, we're going there. So let's rewind way back to 1819. That's when Singapore officially became a British colony. And like most colonies under the British Empire, they didn't just bring tea and red coats, they brought their legal system too. And with that came the death penalty. Hanging was the method of choice. You messed up real bad.

You swing. Crimes like murder, mutiny, and war atrocities would get you that dreaded trip to the gallows. One of the earliest mass executions took place in 1915. A total of 47 sepoys, Indian soldiers in the British Army, were executed for mutiny. Fast forward to the end of World War II, and between 1946 and 1948, 11 Japanese soldiers faced the same fate for war crimes committed during the Japanese occupation. Then came 1965. Big year

Singapore gained independence and started to chart its own path. But even as the nation-built skyscraper and financial hubs, the hangmen stayed busy. Some crimes like rape and mutiny were taken off the capital punishment list, but murder still carried the ultimate price. In that same year, 18 men were hanged for the Palo-Sanong prison riot that left four people dead. Executions would typically take place at dawn inside the infamously tight-lipped Chinese prison. No drama, no public spectacle. Just finality. And only those above 18 and and mentally fit could legally be executed. Then in 1967, a man was hanged for killing his girlfriend.

A year later, two Indonesian militants were hanged for the McDonald House bombing, which killed three and injured 33. Then came 1970, and once again the gallows creaked as two men were executed for murdering a police officer. Singapore wasn't playing around. Now, let's talk guns and drugs. In 1973, Singapore introduced the death penalty for firearms-related offenses. This was a response to rising concerns over violent crime. But even more pressing was the looming threat of drug abuse. The government noticed how countries like China, Vietnam, and Thailand seemed to keep their drug problems in check, and guess what they all had in common.

That's right, the death penalty for drug trafficking. So in 1975, Singapore followed suit. From 1971 to 1990, a total of 35 people were executed, most for murder. One of the darkest names on that list. S.E.K. Kim Waugh. This guy was a serial killer who murdered five people back in 1983. He met his end in 1988. Same year, three people behind the 1981 Toa Pairo ritual murders, Adrian Lill.

them, Tan Muichu, and Ho Ka Hong, were also hanged. It was a haunting case involving bizarre rituals and child victims. Singapore was stunned, but the executioner was unfazed. Now buckle up because here comes a major spike. Between 1991 and 2001, the Gallows saw 340 people executed. Most were drug traffickers. That's nearly one person every 11 days. The country is had taken a hard stance and stuck with it. Some high-profile cases during this period include John Martin Scripps, an English serial killer who murdered three tourists. He was executed in 1996. Then there were the five Thai nationals responsible for the brutal 1992-192-93 construction site murders that left three workers dead. They, too, were hanged in 1996. From 2002 to 2009, another

85 people were executed. Still mostly drug-related cases. But the list also includes some pretty grim local stories. Like Anthony Lur, a Singaporean man who hired a teenager to kill his wife. The plan worked, and so did the justice system. Lur was executed in 2002. Another one was Arun Prakash by Thilingam, an Indian national who murdered his roommate. He was hanged in 2003. Then there was a bit of a slowdown. In 2011, only four executions took place, two for murder, two for drugs. In 2014, just two people were hanged, both for drug trafficking. But the death penalty... There's so much rugby on Sports Exeter from Sky. They've asked me to read the whole lad at the same speed I usually use for the legal bit at the end. Here goes. This winter sports extra is jam-packed with rugby.

For the first time we've bet every Champions Cup match exclusively live, plus action from the URC, the Challenge Cup and much more. Thus the U.S.C and all the best year to being rugby all in the same place. Get more exclusively live tournaments than ever before on Sports Extra. Jam packed with rugby. Phew, that is a lot of rugby. Get Sports Extra on Sky for 15 euro a month for 12 months.

Search Sports Extra. New Sports Extra customers only. Standard Pressing applies after 12 months for the terms apply. Don't let foot pain or discomfort hold you back. At foot solutions, we specialize in high quality supportive footwear. And use the latest scanning technology to custom-make orthotics.

Designed for your unique feet. If you want to free your feet, in joints from pain, improve balance or correct alignment, book a free foot assessment at footsolutions.i or pop-in store today. Foot Solutions, the first step towards pain-free feet. Never really left the picture. From 2015 to 2019, there were 33 executions, most for drug-related offenses. If you got caught trafficking a significant amount of drugs, especially heroin, morphine, or meth, you were basically signing your own death warrant. 2022 rolled in and boom, 11 executions, all for drug trafficking.

The gallows were back in action. Then in 2023, five more people were executed, again all drug traffickers. Around this time, it was reported that 50 inmates sat on death row. Of those, three were in line for execution due to murder charges, while the remaining 47 were for drug trafficking. In 2024, the pattern continued. Nine people were executed. One for murder, eight for drugs. Then came 2025. So far this year, seven people have been executed, two for murder, five for drug offenses. As it stands now, 34 individuals are sitting on death row, all awaiting execution for drug trafficking. And that number could very well climb.

There are still multiple people in pretrial detention for capital offences, including both murder and trafficking. If convicted, they too will likely face the noose. Not surprisingly, Singapore's use of the death penalty has drawn major heat from international organizations. Amnesty International, human rights groups, and vocal anti-death penalty activists have long called on the city state to abolish it. But change is slow to come. Why? Because the majority of Singaporeans actually support it. Public opinion polls suggest that most citizens believe that the death penalty is what keeps

Singapore safe, clean, and low in crime. They think it's the reason murder, kidnapping, and gun violence are practically unheard of. So there you have it. A gritty, bloody walk through Singapore's death penalty timeline. From British hangings to modern drug crackdowns, the rope has always played a role in shaping the country's justice system. There's so much rugby on sports extra from Sky. They've asked me to read the whole lad at the same speed

I usually use for the legal bit at the end. Here goes. This winter sports extra is jam-packed with rugby. For the first time we've got every Champions Cup match exclusively live, plus action from the URC, the Challenge Cup and much more. That's the U.S. and all the best European rugby all on the same place. Get more exclusively live tournaments than ever before on Sports Extra. Jampack with rugby.

Phew, that is a lot of rugby. Get Sports Extra on Sky for 15 euro a month for 12 months. Search Sports Extra. New Sports Extra or customers only. Standupressing applies after 12 months, further terms apply. Whether you agree with it or not, there's no denying that capital punishment is deeply embedded in the nation's laws and mindset. It's not just about justice or deterrence. It's about identity, fear, power, and control. The end? Not quite. As long as those gallows stand at Changi,

this story keeps on going. The end. There's so much rugby on sports extra from Sky. They've asked me to read the whole lad at the same speed I usually use for the legal bit at the end. Here goes. This winter sports extra is jam-packed with rugby. For the first time we've got every Champions Cup match exclusively live, plus action from the URC, the Challenge Cup and much more. Thus the URC and all the best European rugby all in the same place.

Get more exclusively live tournaments than ever before on Sports Extra. Jam-packed with rugby. Phew, that is a lot of rugby. Get Sports Extra on Sky for 15 euro a month for 12 months. Search Sports Extra. New Sports Extra customers only. Standard Pressing applies after 12 months for the terms apply.