Gyeongsan Friend Murder Case: Bereaved Family Alleges Inadequate Initial Police Response

Allegations of inadequate initial police response have been raised regarding the case in which a man in his 20s was brutally murdered by his friend at an apartment in Gyeongsan, Gyeongsangbuk-do, on the 4th of this month.

The police have refuted these claims, stating they are not true.

In a statement distributed to the media yesterday (July 13), the bereaved family claimed that the suspect, identified as A (in his 20s), left the crime scene in a blood-stained, naked state immediately after the crime at approximately 4:00 a.m. on the 4th. They argued that although the suspect wandered the streets for about an hour and encountered a patrol car, the police failed to apprehend him immediately.

The family added that A returned to the crime scene about an hour later, where he was subdued by friends of the victim after a struggle, while the police arrived late and secured the suspect at 5:20 a.m.

The bereaved family further argued that the arrest of A was delayed even at the scene and demanded a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the police response at the time.

The family also emphasized that had the victim's friends not held the suspect, there could have been additional casualties or destruction of evidence.

In response, the police stated, "The officers encountered the suspect on the street at 4:25 a.m. Because the suspect was naked and covered in blood, they determined he was involved in the incident and ordered him to stop, but he fled." They added, "The suspect disappeared, and officers were in the process of tracking him by following the bloodstains."

The police further explained, "Officers arrived at the crime scene at 4:46 a.m. and the arrest was made at 4:57 a.m. While following the bloodstains, the responding officers identified the apartment as the location of the incident. While searching from the first floor, a second report was received at 4:35 a.m. stating that a victim had been killed on an upper floor, and officers immediately proceeded to that location."

Meanwhile, the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency has decided to disclose the personal information of A (in his 20s), who was arrested on charges of murder for brutally killing his friend with a weapon, on the 16th.

Previously, the police held a Personal Information Disclosure Review Committee on the 10th and decided to disclose the information, comprehensively considering the brutality of the crime, the gravity of the damage, the availability of sufficient evidence, and the public interest such as crime prevention.

However, as A has filed an objection to the disclosure decision, his personal information will be posted on the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency's website for 30 days starting at 9:00 a.m. on the 16th, following a five-day grace period.

A is accused of brutally murdering his friend B (in his 20s) by stabbing him multiple times with a weapon at his apartment in Hayang-eup, Gyeongsan, on the 4th.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.