SINGAPORE — The high-profile Coroner’s Inquiry into the unnatural death of American researcher Dr Shane Todd, who was found hanging in his apartment in an apparent suicide last year, resumed with the most senior police investigator involved in the case taking the stand for the most part of the morning (May 14). Senior Station Inspector (SSI) Rayme Darman Koh, testified that he had assessed there to be no foul play involved at the scene. Among other things, SSI said there was no tempering on the doors in the apartment, no ransack or signs of struggle in the apartment and no blood stains in the apartment. There was also no visible signs of injury on Dr Todd’s body and he had left behind a suicide note on his laptop. His valuables were also intact. Dr Todd’s girlfriend, Ms Shirley Sarmiento, had also informed police officers at the scene that he had been depressed over work-related matters. Given the circumstances, SSI Koh said he made the assessment that there was no need for any fingerprint dusting or DNA analysis to be conducted. Lawyers for Dr Todd’s family questioned SSI Koh on why material evidence at the scene was altered when Dr Todd’s body was removed from the hanging position and his body laid on the floor, despite his body displaying signs that it had been hanging for a few hours. SSI Koh said first responders at the scene had to bring the body down, in accordance with police procedures for hanging cases. On repeated questions as to whether he had assessed and concluded that the case was a suicide, SSI Koh reiterated that he had assessed there to be no foul play and that the verdict of suicide was for the State Coroner to decide.