Singapore asks US to help probe mystery hanging

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The story first generated attention after the Financial Times reported in February that Shane Todd's parents suspected he may have been murdered due to his work at a top electronics research institute in Singapore.

It said he was working on an advanced amplifier using gallium nitride (GaN), a tough semiconductor material, and that the technology could have commercial and military applications.

The late scientist's parents Rick and Mary Todd have told US media of their suspicions about their 31-year-old son's death and lobbied officials in Washington to press for a deeper investigation.

They have also questioned the authenticity of a suicide note he was said to have left behind.

Singapore police (SPF) confirmed they had asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to examine evidence from the family of Shane Todd, an electronics engineer found hanged in the city-state in June 2012.

The family dispute an autopsy report that he committed suicide and fear he may have been murdered, saying they found computer files linking Todd's work before his death to China's Huawei Technologies, which denies involvement in any such project.

A police spokesman told AFP they had asked Todd's family to share any evidence in their possession or have it reviewed by the FBI if they were "not comfortable" handing it over to the Singapore Police Force.

"As there has so far been no response to this request, SPF has sought the FBI's assistance to engage the family and for FBI to examine the evidence," the spokesman said late Saturday in a written response to queries.

The US State Department said on Friday that Washington had offered FBI assistance to Singapore, which has a thriving high-tech research sector, and was engaged in "frequent discussions" with the country's officials on the case.