Cho Jae-bok, who was put on trial on charges of beating his mother-in-law to death and placing her body in a travel suitcase to abandon it, has been sentenced to 45 years in prison in the first trial.
The 13th Criminal Division of the Daegu District Court delivered the sentence today (the 15th) against Cho, who was indicted and detained on charges including parricide.
The court also ordered the attachment of a location-tracking electronic device for 30 years.
The court stated, "Parricide is a crime that infringes upon the right to life, an absolute value specified by the Constitution, and cannot be tolerated under any circumstances. In particular, parricide is an anti-social crime that not only violates an individual's life but also destroys the trust within the family and community."
It continued, "The defendant failed to control his anger and habitually assaulted his mother-in-law, who lived with him, causing her health to deteriorate rapidly. Even the day before her death, the victim was unable to speak due to the defendant's assaults, drawing only an 'X' shape with her hands, and could not sleep properly or eat because of pain in her eyes and legs."
The court added, "Contrary to the defendant's claims, he brought the victim, his mother-in-law, to live with him to exploit her economically rather than to support her. After the victim died, he put her body in a suitcase and abandoned it, showing no remorse as he exchanged messages with another woman."
The cause of death for the victim was investigated as multiple injuries across her entire body.
It was revealed that the deceased mother-in-law suffered fractures to all left and right ribs, and damage and ruptures throughout her entire body, including her skull, chest, abdomen, and legs, due to severe and prolonged violence.
While Senior Judge Chae Hee-in was reading the criminal facts stated in the ruling, Cho sighed aloud, prompting the senior judge to intervene, saying, "Defendant, just listen."
Previously, during the sentencing hearing held on September 17 last year, prosecutors demanded life imprisonment for Cho.
Regarding the reason for not sentencing him to life imprisonment, the court stated that it is difficult to conclude with 100 percent certainty that there is no room for improvement in his character through a long-term imprisonment and appropriate treatment during that process.
According to the results of a comprehensive psychological analysis, Cho's overall intelligence quotient was very low at 47, and his comprehensive behavioral score related to daily living skills was also low at 67.
The analytical agency determined that the defendant has an internalized violent cognitive structure, struggles to control his anger, and has a low compliance rate with moral norms.
Cho was indicted and detained on charges of brutally beating and killing his mother-in-law, surnamed A, who lived with him at an officetel-style studio apartment in Jung-gu, Daegu, on March 18, and then placing her body in a suitcase and abandoning it by the Sincheon stream in Chilseong-dong, Buk-gu.
He also faces charges of committing abusive acts such as assault, surveillance, and economic control against his wife and mother-in-law.
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