As the Orchard Towers murder case continues, Natalie Siow Yu Zhen thanks her supporters and well-wishers as she has finally revealed her whereabouts the past few weeks.
Apparently in remand, as per The Straits Times, Natalie is out on bail after her charges were reduced from murder to assault, which means that she is no longer in danger of getting the death penalty if she were convicted.
She can instead be jailed for two years and fined up to $5,000.
New haircut, new life?
In a Facebook post to her followers, she posted a photo of her in a car with her new haircut, that was featured in media outlets earlier last week. Sporting a shorter cut compared to the one she was wearing when she went into prison, she told her followers, “Trust yourself. You survived a lot, you’ll survive what’s coming.”
What happened to Nataliw Siow Yu Zhen and the Orchard Towers murder suspects?
According to a previous report, Natalie cried in court when her charges were reduced to assault, and she was allowed to post bail. Natalie is represented by Mr Amarick Gill of Amarick Gill LLC and Ms Cheryl Ng of Intelleigen Legal.
The prosecution had agreed to a reduced charge for her, and she was elated at the outcome, said her lawyers.
Three other suspects still have murder charges against them, namely, Tan Sen Yang, 28, Joel Tan Yun Sheng, 26, and Ang Da Yuan, 26. Tan Sen Yang allegedly possessed the karambit knife that was used in the case.
The rest of the suspects, who include Tan Hong Sheng, 22, Loo Boon Chong, 25, and Chan Jia Xing, 26, are still facing various reduced charges. Chong and Xing are out on bail just like Natalie, while Sheng has been arrested when he skipped a hearing.
Natalie’s lawyers also said, “She is looking forward to going home to her family and will cooperate with the authorities as advised by me. I am grateful that the prosecution acceded to my representation.
“I feel this is the appropriate charge for Natalie.” continued her lawyers.
She is set to go before court again on Friday, October 25.
Natalie Siow Yu Zhen fanclub is going strong online
Members of the unofficial Natalie Siow yu Zhen fanclub on popular forum site Eat-Drink-Man-Woman have expressed their views on her new status in the case.
Affectionately called Nutella by her online fans, here are some of the sentiments they expressed:
Some commenters expressed a desire to date her, even if she went to prison. They must really be enamored by her appearance.
Another comment said that Natalie deserves a second chance, and that she doesn’t get into the same situation again. This commenter expressed that she wasn’t the killer, but she did hurt the victim.
This commenter referred to a post where someone who appeared to be Natalie was looking for a sugar daddy a few years ago. Read about it here.
While other commenters simply wanted to express their support and wished to be noticed by her.
What happened in the Orchard Tower murders?
On July 2, Natalie Siow Yu Zhen and six other people became suspects in a murder case that happened in Orchard Towers mall, in broad daylight. A 31-year-old man was beaten and left bloodied before dying in Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
Seven youths were arrested, including Natalie. Read about the Orchard Towers murder case here.
