Dexmon disappeared after returning to the car park near his home
The Court of Appeal records that Dexmon Chua Yizhi returned to a multi-storey car park at Choa Chu Kang on the night of December 28, 2013. He was forced into a van and assaulted. His family reported him missing the next day, and police found his car with blood around it.
Chia Kee Chen was arrested at the Woodlands immigration checkpoint on December 31 while returning from Malaysia. On January 1, 2014, he led police to Dexmon's body in the Singapore Armed Forces live-firing area off Lim Chu Kang Road.
The prosecution alleged a planned abduction and attack
The appellate judgment describes evidence that Chia had learned of an earlier affair between Dexmon and Chia's wife and had harboured a grudge. Prosecutors said Chia recruited Febri Irwansyah Djatmiko and obtained help from Chua Leong Aik for the plan.
At trial, the murder case against Chia focused on whether he and Febri shared the common intention required for liability under section 300(c) read with section 34 of the Penal Code. Febri was outside Singapore and remained at large in Indonesia. Chua Leong Aik, whose role was legally different, pleaded guilty to causing grievous hurt and abduction and was serving a five-year prison term by the time of Chia's trial.
The High Court convicted Chia of murder
In January 2017, the High Court convicted Chia of murder. The court found the prosecution had established that Chia and Febri shared a common intention to inflict the fatal injuries. Chia was initially sentenced to life imprisonment in August 2017.
Chia appealed against the conviction. The prosecution separately appealed against sentence, asking the Court of Appeal to impose the death penalty.
The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction
On June 27, 2018, the Court of Appeal dismissed Chia's appeal against conviction. It held that the evidence supported the conclusion that he was the mastermind of the plan, recruited Febri, participated in the assault and never attempted to stop it.
The court also allowed the prosecution's sentencing appeal and substituted the life sentence with a death sentence. That sentencing change did not alter the underlying legal finding of guilt: Chia's murder conviction itself remained affirmed.
Timeline
December 28–29, 2013: Dexmon is abducted near his home and killed.
December 29, 2013: his family reports him missing; police locate his car and evidence of violence.
December 31, 2013: Chia Kee Chen is arrested at Woodlands checkpoint.
January 1, 2014: Chia leads police to Dexmon's body in Lim Chu Kang.
January 17, 2017: the High Court convicts Chia of murder.
August 4, 2017: the High Court imposes life imprisonment.
June 27, 2018: the Court of Appeal upholds the murder conviction and allows the prosecution's appeal on sentence.
Current status
The murder of Dexmon Chua Yizhi is Solved / Adjudicated as to Chia Kee Chen. The archive does not extend Chia's conviction to other people whose procedural posture was different: Febri remained outside Singapore, while Chua Leong Aik was convicted on separate charges.