American engineer’s death in Singapore raises questions – The Verge

Inquiry into American engineer’s unexpected death finds no evidence of foul play

2013-07-08T04:06:37-04:00

shane todd rocks courtesy family

An inquiry has found that Shane Todd, an American engineer who was found dead in his Singapore apartment just over a year ago, committed suicide. The ruling is in line with Police findings last year. Before his death, Todd was contracted by a Singaporean government research agency to work on a galium nitride amplifier, a new technology with commercial and potential military applications. Todd's family believed that his work made him a target for foul play, claiming a hard drive found in his apartment supports their theory and the suicide note, which praised his former employer, was out of character.

In an extensive 150-page report, Singapor …

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Was an American engineer in Singapore killed for what he knew? So far, testimony points to suicide

2013-05-17T09:23:35-04:00

todds leaving court

The victim's family leaving court Friday afternoon. Left to right: Mary Todd, the victim's mother, with her son Chet Todd, his wife Corynne, sister-in-law, and husband Rick Todd. Photo: Belmont Lay

After a week of court testimony, the tragic death of Shane Todd, 31, which sparked an international investigation, is now looking more like a suicide than an assassination. State witnesses presented a picture of a deeply depressed young man, while offering viable explanations for some of the inconsistencies that originally aroused suspicion around the case. Forensic experts also recreated the death scene, showing it was consistent with hanging and …

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Singapore police present evidence of suicide in controversial death of American engineer

2013-05-13T09:38:45-04:00

todds 640

Shane Todd's parents, Rick and Mary Todd, arriving at the coroner's public inquest. Photo: Belmont Lay

Investigators and friends testified today that Shane Todd, the American engineer who was found hanging in his bathroom in Singapore last year, was depressed and even visited suicide-related websites in the months before his death.

It was the first day of testimony in the highly sensitive 12-day coroner's inquest, which was commissioned after Todd's parents raised questions about their son's death. The Todds believe that Shane was murdered, possibly because he facilitated an illegal transfer of military-grade technology from the US to China t …

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Suicide and silicon: why would anyone want to kill an American engineer in Singapore?

2013-04-11T12:00:05-04:00

shane todd rocks courtesy family

Shane Todd. Photo courtesy the Todd family.

"Mom, I'm going to call you every week," 31-year-old Shane Todd reportedly told his mother before he was found dead last June in an alleged suicide in Singapore. "If you don't hear from me for a week, call the American embassy."

It's possible Todd hanged himself, as the Singaporean police ruled when his body was found, but his family doesn't buy it. They suspect he was murdered over his work on a military-grade technology that was potentially worth billions.

The case has attracted the attention of three members of Congress, the FBI, and the Secretary of State, prompting the Singaporean government …

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Inquiry ordered into strange death of American engineer allegedly contracted by Huawei

2013-03-26T14:21:02-04:00

shane todd

After intense lobbying by a US Senator, the Secretary of State, and the US Attorney General, Singapore will conduct an official coroner's inquiry into the unexpected death of American engineer Shane Todd, starting on May 13.

Todd told friends and family that he was working on a joint project for his employer, a Singaporean government research agency, and the partially state-owned Chinese company Huawei. There is some evidence that the project had military implications, and Todd had told his family he was worried that his work could get him "in trouble with the US government." The agency and Huawei say the project never went beyond explorato …

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Sudden death of American engineer in Singapore raises questions

2013-02-15T17:26:08-05:00

shane todd

Shane Todd's girlfriend found him hanging in his Singaporean apartment six months ago, a sudden tragedy that local police deemed a suicide. But six months later, Todd's girlfriend, family and the FBI are still wondering what exactly happened. Todd had just put in his last day as an employee of IME, a Singaporean government research institute, where he had been working on a high-powered amplifier with commercial and "huge" military uses. The amplifier was being co-developed with the Chinese telecom giant Huawei. Todd's parents say their son was increasingly uncomfortable at his job and "said there were things he had done that could get him in …

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