Police Conduct Reenactment Experiment Following Doubts Over Palm Tree Hanging in Jeju Case

As suspicions continue to surround the death of a woman in her 30s, surnamed Jang, in connection with the "Jeju missing person false closure case," it has been revealed that police even conducted a reenactment experiment to determine whether hanging oneself from a palm tree trunk is feasible.

According to the Jeju Provincial Police Agency, the police reenacted the suspected method of Jang's suicide on the 27th at the palm tree field in Hallim-eup, Jeju City, where her body was discovered.

Based on the posture in which the body was found and the autopsy results, the police have leaned toward the conclusion that there are no signs of foul play.

The police believe that Jang took her own life by tying a rope, which she brought from home, to a palm tree trunk and hanging herself while in a sitting position.

The autopsy report from the National Forensic Service also showed no unusual fractures, though a fracture was found in the remaining part of the hyoid bone.

The hyoid bone, also known as the lingual bone, is a very thin bone, and the National Forensic Service explained that photographs from the autopsy showed the middle section separated.

However, suspicions of foul play persist.

In particular, doubts have been raised due to the characteristics of the Canary Island date palms found at the site, which have numerous thorns making access difficult, as well as the argument that it is difficult to hang heavy objects from them.

In response, the police conducted a strength test by pulling on the palm tree trunk during the initial forensic investigation when the body was found.

It was confirmed that on the 27th, the police carried out a more specific reenactment by selecting a similarly shaped tree near the palm tree presumed to have been used by Jang for suicide, and testing it with a similarly shaped trunk, a rope of identical strength, and an equivalent weight.

Meanwhile, Police Officer Bu has partially admitted to allegations, stating that he has not recently spoken with Jang or the parties involved in the disappearance case of a man in his 60s.

The police plan to focus on uncovering Officer Bu's motive for the crime and investigating any additional cases of false closure.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.