Murder Victim in Maxwell Food Centre Left Behind 2 Teenage Children

Last Saturday, a 41-year-old male hawker, Wu Tao, who operated a Chinese-Thai food stall called “Daoxiangju,” allegedly stabbed 48-year-old Tan Kamonwan, a Thai food hawker three stalls away, following a dispute, reportedly over financial issues.

After the altercation, Wu turned himself in to the authorities and was arrested.

Wu Tao appeared in court on Sunday facing a murder charge.

He was remanded for three weeks for a psychiatric evaluation, with the case adjourned to 27 September.

A relative of the victim revealed that his brother and sister-in-law had been married for 16 or 17 years, with a son and daughter, and were very loving.

Murder Victim in Maxwell Food Centre Left Behind 2 Teenage Children

It’s reported that the victim had known Wu for several years, having met at the Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre.

At that time, Kamonwan ran a Thai food stall while Wu worked as an assistant at a nearby vegetarian stall. The two got along well, which led to them partnering to open “Daoxiangju” at Maxwell Food Centre a year ago.

However, for reasons unknown, Kamonwan started her own Thai food stall a month ago.

It’s unknown whether this caused the dispute.

The victim’s wake is now held in a HDB block near Jalan Tenaga.

Her 47-year-old brother-in-law, spoke to Shin Min Daily News reporters at the wake on Sunday evening. He mentioned that his brother and sister-in-law had a close relationship and raised a son and daughter together

“They met in Thailand, where they got married and had children before moving to Singapore. They’ve known each other for 16 or 17 years, and was loving.  Just two days before the incident, my brother was even helping her fix the exhaust fan at her stall,” he said.

He added that the couple’s children are in Secondary 1 and either Secondary 3 or 4, still at an age where they need care and support.

Mr Chen also expressed concern over misunderstandings among nearby hawkers, who were unaware of the true situation, which had upset the family.

“My sister-in-law was a kind person. We don’t want outsiders to speculate wildly. My brother will need to care for the children, and we hope they won’t be affected by this.”

The victim was reportedly dragged to the suspect’s food stall, where she was stabbed in the abdomen with a knife. The knife was later discarded in a trash can. A cleaner alerted the police after discovering the deceased at the stall.