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"He was a man who worked himself to the bone to save his wife, who is fighting cancer, and his daughter with an intellectual disability. How could this happen to a man whose only joy was going to church..."
The bereaved family and a colleague of a 69-year-old air conditioner technician, identified as A, who was stabbed to death by a tenant with a weapon while visiting to install an air conditioner, have urged strict punishment for the perpetrator.
Speaking on the 22nd, A's 65-year-old wife cried out, "As opposed to what was initially reported, my husband did not end up that way after a verbal argument or physical fight with the suspect, but was murdered unilaterally," adding, "The suspect is claiming self-defense, but that is not true."
On the afternoon of the 3rd at around 2:40 PM, A went to install an air conditioner at a multi-family housing unit in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, where he was stabbed and killed by a tenant in his 50s, identified as B, using a weapon.
According to A's 74-year-old colleague who witnessed the crime, B hurled continuous verbal abuse and insults for about 15 to 20 minutes from the time they arrived at the home until the weapon was used.
When they tried to leave after failing to endure the excessive insults, B abruptly ordered A to wipe something smeared on the floor inside the house. A refused, stating that he was not the one who smeared it.
A's colleague claimed, "B had also been in conflict with the landlord over the air conditioner installation that day. As soon as we arrived, he kept picking fights," and added, "The inside of the house was already messy, and since the air conditioner packaging hadn't even been opened, no work had been done that would have smeared anything on the floor."
Enraged by A's action of packing his belongings and trying to leave without wiping the floor, B rushed to the kitchen near the front door, pulled out a weapon, and stabbed A in the chest and abdomen three times in an instant.
The colleague explained that although A, who had been stabbed, subsequently swung a tool he was carrying, it was closer to a defensive action to deter B's additional attack.
During four rounds of reference interviews with the police and prosecution up until recently, the colleague maintained these claims, testifying to the effect that "there were no arguments or physical altercations that could have served as a motive for murder."
However, it has been confirmed that B has been telling investigative authorities that A attacked first, repeatedly claiming it was self-defense.
The police conducted related investigations, including on-site forensics and bloodstain pattern analysis, and after determining that B's statements lacked credibility, have transferred the case to the prosecution.
A's bereaved family repeatedly urged a strict investigation so that B can receive punishment corresponding to his crime.
Despite nearing the age of 70, A worked as a freelance air conditioner technician, bearing the responsibility of the family's livelihood while caring for his daughter in her mid-30s with the mental age of a 4-year-old and his wife, who has been battling colon cancer for 10 years.
Deeply faithful, he was known to have deeply cherished both his daughter living with him and his son who had moved out independently.
Due to tight living conditions, even amid being busy day and night, going to church every Sunday was virtually his only joy, according to his family.
The remaining family members, facing bleak prospects for immediate livelihood due to disabilities and illness, are expressing extreme anxiety and mental distress.
One bereaved family member pleaded, "Claiming self-defense after committing murder is an insult to the deceased who lived a life of faith, and an indelible insult to the remaining family members who are walking through hell day by day," adding, "Please help ensure that the perpetrator receives strict punishment."
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