Verdict on William Yau's inquest to be delivered today

When six-year-old William Yau Zhen Zhong went missing on Jan 16, Malaysians remained hopeful and united, as the cops launched a nationwide search for him by triggering the National Urgent Response (NUR) Alert for missing children.

Slightly more than a week later, the nation was devastated when William’s body was found dead, floating face-up in Sungai Klang near Kampung Sungai Sireh in Port Klang .

His body was found 30 kilometres away from Jalan Putra Mahkota 7/6C in Putra Heights, where he was reported missing and the nation mourned together when his parents Yau Kok Kang, 38, and Goh Ying Ying, 26.

The police than had called for an inquest to determine the cause his death.The inquest began on March 11 with a total of 21 witnesses called to testify.

Coroner Mohd Hezri Shaharil is expected to deliver his decision at 2pm today.

Here are the key happenings during the inquest:

March 11: Yau told the court that he and his wife had left their three children, Eric,7, William,6 and Cindy,1, locked in the car and had gone into an electrical shop in Putra Heights that evening.

Upon returning to the car 10 minutes later, his wife, Goh, screamed and said that ‘one child had not gotten into the car’.

Yau also told the court that he had gone to the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang with Goh on the night of Jan 24 to identify his son’s body.

March 12: Goh told the court she received a call from a man telling her to prepare RM80,000 in

Yau said William was not a naughty boy and that he would not follow strangers although he was generally unafraid of people.

March 20: Coroner Mohd Hezri Shaharil led the inquest team in a visit to the site in Putra Heights at Subang Jaya where William Yau was reported missing.

The 20-minute visit saw Mohd Hezri visit the Onking chain-store, inspected the place where the Toyota Hilux was parked and two big drains which were about five metres from the vehicle.

He also inspected an uncovered drain about 200m away from the store, which was believed to be connected to Sungai Sireh.

March 29: The eldest brother William testified that he missed William as they always played together.

"I asked my father and mother where was William and they told me that William was with Guan Yin goddess.

"They told me that the goddess is far away above the sky," he said.

April 22: “You watch out. Your son is in Kajang, it is not safe to return home. If you want your son to return safely you need to bank-in RM3,000 and do not report to the police”.

“Your son is in our hand. If you want your son back you need to bank-in RM3,000 and do not report to the police. If report we will kill you son."

These were the two SMS received by Goh about William, the court was told.

April 23: Meteorological Department officer Ahmad Fairuz Jamaluddin told the court it rained heavily on the day William went missing.

Kons Nor Shahrir Zakaria testified that William's father was in a state of panic and looked pale, while his mother was crying and holding their youngest child while their oldest child Eric was in the car when he first met the family at the scene.

April 24: Lance Corporal Patrick Dorriuse told the court that William had dinner with his family at a restaurant in Puchong to celebrate his older brother’s appointment as a class head before he was reported missing.

May 9: Pathologist Dr Nur Ayutimasery Abdullah told the court there were three possibilities which caused the death William including the boy could have been hit by a strong force on the head and died, he could have fallen into a drain filled with water and fractured his skull and died or he fell into the drain, knocked his head and died.

May 13: Satarudin Kamal, a resident living near Sungei Sireh jetty in Port Klang told the court that he never saw a boy that aged six playing near the jetty.

May 15: Shah Azril Azri Abdul Hamid, a part-time burger seller told the court that he did not see any child come out from William’s father's car on the day the boy was reported missing.

May 29: The grandmother of William Chee Chong Moi told the Coroner’s Court today that she had quarrelled with the boy’s father about a year ago due to Yau’s refusal to give her money.

“I was angry with him at that time, and made up a story to my mother and younger brother that Yau had beaten William Yau until the boy was hurled onto a wall,” she said.

June 1: Coroner Mohd Hezri Shaharil set June 20 for decision on the inquest to determine the cause of William’s death.