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SINGAPORE: Spanish forensic experts have said that DNA linked to Singaporean Mitchell Ong, who is suspected of killing his compatriot Audrey Fang in Spain, was found on the victim's body.
A report by the National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences said that the DNA was recovered from Ms Fang's undergarments and her crotch area, according to Spanish news site La Opinion de Murcia, who cited sources close to the case.
Ms Fang had been travelling alone in Spain when her body was found near a parking area for lorries in the town of Abanilla on Apr 10, 2024. Ong previously admitted to having taken Ms Fang to the area, but denies killing her.
The forensic report found two male DNA profiles. One of them, described as "Male 1", showed a match with the Y-chromosome haplotype of Ong's paternal lineage, La Opinion de Murcia reported on Wednesday (Jun 18).
However, defence lawyer Maria Jesus Ruiz de Castaneda Sancho objected to the findings, saying that this genetic marker is shared among all male members of Ong's paternal lineage and cannot be used to identify an individual conclusively.
The second DNA profile, referred to as "Male 2", did not match Ong's DNA, suggesting that at least two different male contributors were involved in the samples analysed, the lawyer added.
"The evidence collected does not allow us to conclude that he was involved in the events, but rather reinforces the need to expand the investigation to include other possible individuals," Ms Ruiz de Castaneda said.
Ong maintains his innocence and will continue to cooperate with Spanish authorities, the lawyer added, reiterating her argument that the report did not conclusively attribute any of the recovered DNA to Ong.
He remains in custody and will not be extradited to Singapore after a Spanish court last month blocked a request for his deportation.
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 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.
