Audrey Fang death: Family seeks to keep suspect Mitchell Ong in jail longer

SINGAPORE: The family of Singaporean Audrey Fang, who was found dead in April 2024 with more than 30 stab wounds, has asked a Spanish court to keep suspect Mitchell Ong in custody for longer.

Spanish news outlet La Verdad reported on Saturday (Feb 21) that Ong is approaching two years in remand and that the lawyer representing the victim's family has asked the investigating judge to keep him detained, citing the risk that he could evade justice if released.

In May last year, a Spanish court blocked a request for Ong's deportation. 

Under Spanish law, pre-trial detention can last up to two years, and judges may extend it by up to another two years in exceptional circumstances.

Ms Fang had been travelling alone in Spain when her body was found near a lorry parking area in the town of Abanilla on Apr 10, 2024. Ong, who was arrested shortly after, previously admitted to taking Ms Fang to the area but denies killing her.

According to La Verdad, lawyer Manuel Martinez, who is acting as private prosecutor on behalf of the victim’s family, has requested a two-year extension of Ong’s pre-trial detention. 

He said in a written submission to the judge that Ong “has financial means” and no ties to Spain, and warned of the “risk that he could attempt to interfere with the investigation".

In Spain, victims can hire lawyers to act as private prosecutors and they can bring evidence, request statements or call for charges, among other things. They are separate from the public prosecution.

Ong's court-appointed lawyer, María Jesus Ruiz de Castaneda, is seeking to have the case dismissed.

Under Spanish law, murder carries a prison sentence of between 15 and 25 years.

WHAT HAPPENED

Ong, the sole suspect in Ms Fang’s murder, was arrested six days after her body was found.

A preliminary autopsy report found that knife wounds and head trauma were the cause of her death, it was reported.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at the hotel where Ong was staying captured him leaving on Apr 9, 2024, dressed in a hoodie and black pants. 

Prosecutors previously said Ong drove Ms Fang to a parking lot near a restaurant in Abanilla, where he allegedly killed her.

He then returned to his hotel in the early hours of Apr 10, dressed in jeans and a blue sweater.

Spanish police have proven that both Ms Fang's and Ong's mobile phones were together in Abanilla on the day she died, local newspaper Levante El Mercantil Valenciano previously reported.

According to the judge overseeing the case, it is inferred "without a doubt" that both Singaporeans were in the same area and in the same time slot on the day the crime was committed, based on data provided by mobile phone operators in Abanilla.