Foul smell leads Singapore man to find blood-soaked father, 63, slumped on toilet floor 3 days after death
- Older man habitually locked himself in room following death of wife, worried son enters room after 3 days, finds blood, maggot covered dad
A man in Singapore who lived in the same flat as his father went on doing so unaware that the older man had been dead for three days.
On May 23, Riduan, a 41-year-old cleaner, discovered his 63-year-old father’s body, covered in blood and riddled with maggots, in their shared home in Hougang, northeastern Singapore, the news outlet Shin Min Daily News reported.
He became aware after noticing a foul smell coming from his father’s locked bedroom.
Riduan had last seen him three days before when the older man came out of his room to get food.
“As my dad rarely left his room, I didn’t notice anything amiss,” Riduan said.
Following the death of his mother last year the man’s father usually stayed in his locked bedroom.
“My dad scolded me when I knocked on his door last time and told me not to disturb his sleep,” he said.
After three days, the son realised something was wrong.
Awakened from a nap by an unusual smell, he initially suspected his cat might have died, and was relieved to find the pet alive.
Riduan tried to check on his father as his concern grew, but there was no response from behind the locked door.
He was not sure what to do, so he asked his relatives to come over.
Together, they managed to locate a spare key and opened the door, but saw the old man was not in his bed.
“Then I glanced into the toilet and saw my father lying on his side with blood around his head. I also saw some maggots on his head,” Riduan said.
The family immediately called for an ambulance and the old man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Based on a preliminary investigation, police said no foul play was suspected.
Riduan described his father as a reserved individual who seldom shared his personal struggles.
He also spoke of his father’s health issues, which included chronic swelling in both legs.
The older man regularly took pain relief pills but stubbornly refused further medical treatment despite his family’s concerns.
“During Ramadan last year, both his legs had been swollen for almost a year, yet he did not seek treatment. We urged him to see a doctor, but he refused,” Riduan said.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. In 2024, it lasted from March 10 to April 9.
Public comments reflected a broader concern about familial relationships and caring for elderly parents.
“It’s sad to see that this son had such little communication with his father, almost like strangers,” one online observer said.
“Seeing this news is heartbreaking. Parents raise us, and yet we often fail to adequately care for them in their old age,” said another.
