Suspect in Paju Freezer Murder Requested a 'Woman' Day Before Crime to Lock Victim Inside

[Anchor]

The suspect in the Paju freezer murder case has been transferred to the prosecution in custody. According to police investigations, the suspect installed the freezer with the intent to confine someone, and it was revealed that the day before the crime, he requested a woman as a transaction partner.

[Reporter]

A man wearing a hat and bowing his head in the very back seat of a police transport bus is the 39-year-old suspect in the Paju freezer murder case, surnamed Shin.

As the police referred Shin to the prosecution today (September 14) on charges including the murder of an abducted person and the forgery and uttering of securities, they stated that Shin committed the crime to make massive profits by selling around 50 billion won worth of forged department store gift certificates.

Initially, the gift certificates were supposed to be appraised by a gift certificate broker, person A, who had brought the female victim to Paju. However, investigations showed that a day before the incident, Shin requested that a "woman be sent instead," leading to the female victim—an acquaintance of broker A—taking on the role.

It appears Shin judged that a woman would be easier to target, and police have uncovered various circumstances indicating that Shin planned the crime in advance.

First, Shin began preparing for the freezer in mid-July, inquired about a rental early last month, and signed a one-month lease, installing the freezer in his cafe a week before the incident occurred.

A police official stated, "Shin installed the freezer with the purpose of locking up anyone who might interfere if a problem arose during the transaction, and it appears he confined her out of concern that his gift certificate forgery would be exposed to the outside world."

While Shin claims the crime was accidental, arguing that he did not plan to kill her from the beginning, the police maintain that they can prove he confined her while knowing she could die as a result.

However, the investigation results so far indicate that no one other than Shin participated in murdering the woman.

Police plan to continue their investigation into other individuals involved in the production and distribution of the forged gift certificates.

(Video by Lee Sang-hak | Video Editing by Choi Hye-ran | Design by Yang Gi-tae)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.