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Twelve months after Singaporean tourist Audrey Fang was found murdered in a field in the Murcia town of Abanilla, police have requested that her accused killer be deported from Spain. Prime suspect Mitchell Ong, currently in pre-trial detention at the Sangonera La Verde penitentiary in Murcia, admits to transporting Fang from Alicante to the location where her body was later discovered but firmly denies involvement in her death.

 

A letter from the General Police Station for Immigration and Border Protection to the investigating judge in the case maintains that the suspect is in this country illegally.

 

As a result, the Spanish government has ordered Ong to be expelled from Spain and banned from returning for ten years. However, the Cieza court still has to sign off on the deportation.

 

Both the Prosecutor’s Office and the lawyer representing the victim’s family plan to charge Ong with murder. At a hearing in February, prosecutors stated they believe Ong committed murder, which could lead to a sentence of 15 to 25 years. The victim’s family agrees.

 

But in a twist to the case, Ong’s new court-appointed lawyer, María Jesús Ruiz de Castañeda, has petitioned the judge to dismiss the charges, arguing that new DNA evidence supports her client’s innocence. Forensic analysis conducted last month revealed the presence of DNA from two unidentified men on the victim’s underwear and thigh.

 

Ruiz de Castañeda maintains that this discovery points to the possible involvement of individuals other than Ong. She is calling for a thorough and impartial investigation to ensure all available evidence is properly examined.

 

However, given the latest developments, it looks likely that Ong will now stand trial in Singapore instead of Spain.

 

 

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