Amid growing controversy over poor and concealed investigations by police following the Jang Yoon-gi case, another instance of inadequate investigation has come to light.
A case initially deemed an accidental murder by the police was revealed to be a premeditated killing following a period of stalking, thanks to supplementary investigations by the prosecution.
The Hongseong Branch of the Daejeon District Prosecutors Office announced that it has indicted a 52-year-old man, identified as A, on charges of murder, violation of the Stalking Punishment Act, and preparation for murder. The prosecution added the stalking and murder preparation charges to the original murder charge applied by the police.
A is accused of stabbing a 43-year-old man, identified as B—the new partner of A’s ex-girlfriend—seven times with a 72cm weapon he had sharpened and crafted himself. The incident occurred in front of a restaurant in Hongseong, South Chungcheong Province, at approximately 9:25 p.m. on June 13.
Despite confirming that A had personally manufactured the weapon, the police concluded the case as an "accidental murder" and referred it to the prosecution.
However, the prosecution grew suspicious, noting that the crime occurred more than a year after A had broken up with his ex-girlfriend and that he had crafted the weapon himself, leading them to launch a supplementary investigation.
The prosecution obtained warrants for communication records and search and seizure, analyzing one year of A’s call logs, conducting a digital forensic analysis of his mobile phone, and performing base station analysis.
The results revealed that for about a year, A had been continuously stalking his ex-girlfriend and B by visiting their residences, and had even attempted to purchase an air rifle with the intent to commit murder.
A, who had initially denied the murder was premeditated, eventually admitted to the charges when the prosecution presented the evidence.
Proving that a murder was premeditated rather than accidental serves as a significant aggravating factor during judicial sentencing.
In A’s case, the fact that the murder was committed after a year of stalking is highly likely to be considered a major aggravating factor.
With such cases occurring repeatedly, there is a growing consensus within the legal community on the necessity of maintaining the prosecution’s authority to conduct supplementary investigations.
Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Choi Gangsan | Graphics by Lee Sumin | Produced by SBS Digital News
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