Singaporean man suspected of killing woman in Spain identified as Mitchell Ong: Report

Police have proven that mobile phones belonging to Singaporean Audrey Fang and her suspected killer were together in Abanilla on the day she was found dead with 30 stab wounds, according to a Spanish media report.

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man suspected of killing a Singaporean woman in Spain was identified on Saturday (Apr 20) as Mitchell Ong.

The 43-year-old, who appeared in court on Friday, was named by Spanish news outlet La Verdad de Murcia.

Two other Spanish media outlets, La Opinión de Murcia and Levante El Mercantil Valenciano, have identified the Singaporean man with his initials “OM”.

Singaporean woman Audrey Fang, 39, was found dead with 30 stab wounds near a parking area for lorries in the town of Abanilla on Apr 10. Ong was arrested in Alicante on Apr 16.

According to Levante El Mercantil Valenciano, the police have proven that both Ms Fang's and Ong's mobile phones were together in Abanilla on the day of her death.

She was not sexually assaulted, according to the report.

It added that Ms Fang and the suspect had known each other for many years and that there might have been an "economic motive" for the killing. She had reportedly transferred money to an unidentified third person.

Ms Fang's family are in Cieza and their lawyer said they have identified her body. The judge agreed to their lawyer's request for the accused to be remanded in custody while investigations continue.

The suspect was not offered bail, news outlet La Opinion de Murcia reported.

On Friday, Spain's Civil Guard released footage of a vehicle that had picked up Ms Fang. It also showed Ong being taken to a hotel room that investigators were searching.

Ms Fang arrived in Spain on Apr 4 for a solo trip and was due to return to Singapore on Apr 12.

She reportedly went missing after leaving her hotel room on Apr 9 at around 8.45pm. Her belongings were left in the luxury hotel in Javea, a town on Spain’s eastern coast.

Her body was found around 150km away the next day but was only identified on Apr 17.

A preliminary autopsy report determined that knife wounds and head trauma were the cause of Ms Fang's death, La Verdad de Murcia reported.