[Anchor]
The police special investigation team has announced that they have uncovered circumstances suggesting that Jang Yun-gi knew the victim, the late Lee Chae-won, long before the crime took place. This reveals that Jang's claim of an impulsive crime may be false. The Gwangsan Police Station investigation team was aware of these circumstances but concluded the case according to Jang's claims without further investigation.
Reporter Son Gijun has the story.
[Reporter]
In an interim investigation report released today (July 15), the police special investigation team stated, "There were traces indicating that Jang Yun-gi targeted the high school student in a premeditated manner."
The team explained that "traces suggesting Jang Yun-gi may have unilaterally known the victim" were discovered on a spare mobile phone belonging to Jang that was seized during the initial investigation.
The special investigation team estimates that the point at which he became aware of the victim was long before the incident occurred. However, Jang has consistently claimed during his pre-arrest questioning and other proceedings that it was an impulsive crime against a stranger.
[Jang Yun-gi (May 7): (Why did you attack the student?) I did not know it was a female student.]
The initial investigation team became aware of relevant circumstances on May 8, but they did not conduct any additional investigations or verification. They referred Jang to the prosecution on charges of impulsive murder, omitting any sexual offense motives.
The special investigation team revealed that the arrested team leader, Inspector A, instructed team members not to "frame it as a sexual offense." He also ordered the deletion of a report stating that the rear door of Jang's car appeared to be open at the time of the crime and failed to seize key evidence such as a real doll and cable ties.
[Oh Dong-wook, Head of the Special Investigation Team, National Office of Investigation: (Inspector A) claimed that he omitted evidence such as the real doll and cable ties because he 'judged they were not key evidence for the murder,' while also testifying that 'he was instructed by superiors not to connect the stalking and murder cases.']
The special investigation team referred Inspector A to the prosecution today and summoned his direct superior, the former head of the detective division at Gwangsan Police Station, for questioning as a suspect in the afternoon.
Inspector A's side stated regarding the special investigation team's interim results that they appear to be based on artificial and one-sided inferences, and that they will clarify their position during the prosecution's investigation and trial.
(Video reporting: Jang Chang-geon, KBC | Video editing: Choi Hye-ran | Graphics: Jo Su-in)
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