The Toa Payoh Ritual Murders

Episode 65 of the Tales from the Chesterfield podcast, hosted by Alysia Michaud and Kayla Wedgewood, titled "The Toa Payoh Ritual Murders" was published on October 7, 2025 and runs 51 minutes.

October 7, 2025 ·51m · Tales from the Chesterfield

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Summary

After wrapping up our very first year of episodes, we decided to take a little break to make sure every story we share meets the standard you deserve. We’re so excited to announce that we’ll be back with brand new episodes in January 2026!In the meantime, cozy up with bi-monthly re-releases of our International ODDities series—perfect for filling the gap until we return. Stay safe, stay cozy – we’ll see you back on the chesterfield in the new year, eh?You’d never expect a horror story to unfold in a place like Toa Payoh, Singapore’s first satellite town, once hailed as a shining symbol of modern public housing. But in the early '80s, beneath the surface of this quiet, tight-knit neighborhood, something truly terrifying was brewing.In this episode, we dive into the disturbing true story of Adrian Lim: a self-proclaimed medium, spiritual healer, and predator. Lim built a web of control using superstition, charisma, and fear—convincing his followers, and even his wives, to commit unthinkable crimes. Together, they would go on to murder two children in what they claimed were ritual sacrifices.But this isn’t just a story about murder—it’s about coercion, trauma, and the devastating power one person can have when belief and manipulation collide. We peel back the layers of the case, explore the lives of his accomplices, and ask: how much agency did they really have? And what happens when justice doesn’t leave room for nuance?This is the story of the Toa Payoh Ritual Murders. It’s harrowing. It’s heartbreaking. And it’s a reminder that monsters don’t always hide in the dark—sometimes, they walk among us wearing a healer’s smile.

Episode Description

In the meantime, cozy up with bi-monthly re-releases of our International ODDities series—perfect for filling the gap until we return.

Stay safe, stay cozy – we’ll see you back on the chesterfield in the new year, eh?

You’d never expect a horror story to unfold in a place like Toa Payoh, Singapore’s first satellite town, once hailed as a shining symbol of modern public housing. But in the early '80s, beneath the surface of this quiet, tight-knit neighborhood, something truly terrifying was brewing.

In this episode, we dive into the disturbing true story of Adrian Lim: a self-proclaimed medium, spiritual healer, and predator. Lim built a web of control using superstition, charisma, and fear—convincing his followers, and even his wives, to commit unthinkable crimes. Together, they would go on to murder two children in what they claimed were ritual sacrifices.

But this isn’t just a story about murder—it’s about coercion, trauma, and the devastating power one person can have when belief and manipulation collide. We peel back the layers of the case, explore the lives of his accomplices, and ask: how much agency did they really have? And what happens when justice doesn’t leave room for nuance?

This is the story of the Toa Payoh Ritual Murders. It’s harrowing. It’s heartbreaking. And it’s a reminder that monsters don’t always hide in the dark—sometimes, they walk among us wearing a healer’s smile.