'It was just something we wanted to do for her': Hearse carrying Audrey Fang makes detour to floral shop she ran after mum died

In a nod to her love for her family, Ms Audrey Fang’s brother Benjamin directed the hearse carrying his sister to drive by the floral shop their mother ran in Depot Lane.

Ms Fang kept the business alive after her mother died in 2019. The 39-year-old left her job as a design manager in a construction firm in 2022 to run the place full-time.

“It was just something we wanted to do for her,” Mr Fang told The Straits Times as he fought back tears.

The hearse left the family home in Petir Road on April 29 at about 10.50am. It was accompanied by more than 60 friends and relatives of the designer, who was killed while on a solo trip to Spain.

Ms Fang, who had travelled to Xabia in the south-east of the country on April 4, was found dead on April 10 about 150km from her hotel.

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Her alleged killer, Singaporean Mitchell Ong, who allegedly sold her investment-linked policies a number of years earlier, was arrested on April 16 at his hotel in Alicante, which is about 80km from Ms Fang’s hotel.

Mr Fang and his father had prepared eulogies for Ms Fang, but they were too distraught to speak. A representative of the funeral services company helped read out their statements instead.

Mr Fang described his sister, who was five years older than him, as being more than just a sibling.

“Audrey always played an important part in my life. When I was younger, she read to me and spent plenty of time with me and my parents.

“She always took care of me, but would sometimes steal my ice cream,” his eulogy read.

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Their father told his daughter to rest easy, adding that he would always keep her memory alive.

“Go peacefully, and let go of any matter or concerns that you may have had.

“Thank you for being my daughter,” his eulogy read.

Ms Fang was found with 30 stab wounds and other injuries near a parking area for lorries in the town of Abanilla.

Ong, who had indicated in a social media post that he was in Alicante on April 4, is currently in remand in Spain. The 43-year-old has not provided police with any information to date.

However, Spanish media earlier reported that investigators found evidence that allegedly showed him in the area where Ms Fang’s hotel is located, and where her body was found.

Police had tracked him down by identifying a car he was purportedly linked to. Ms Fang was last seen alive on April 9 leaving her hotel and getting into a car.

The court in Spain also heard that footprints found at the lorry park, where Ms Fang’s body was located, are being checked against Ong’s shoes, which are uncommonly large at European size 48.5.

The Singaporean has been in remand since he was brought to court in Murcia on April 19.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.