"She Used to Say It Was Scary"... How Did She Get Inside the Dense Palm Trees?

Regarding Jang Mi-ran, who was found dead 104 days after being reported missing in Jeju, police have stated that the possibility of homicide is low, while questions persist surrounding the location where the body was discovered and the circumstances of her death.

According to the Jeju Provincial Police Agency, an autopsy revealed no signs indicative of crime, such as unusual fractures or severe trauma.

Although fingerprints were lost due to decomposition, a verbal opinion matching Jang's identity was issued through dental identification, and DNA testing is also underway for precise confirmation.

Based on the posture, location, and condition of the body at the time of discovery, police are leaning toward suicide.

However, some critics continue to point out that it is premature to conclude the cause of death.

Attention is particularly focused on the palm tree farm where the body was found.

This location is only 400 meters away from the accommodation where Jang was staying, a 10-minute walk, but it is a secluded area with no streetlights or CCTVs at all.

In an interview with media outlets, Jang's boyfriend raised questions, saying, "This is a place Jang always said was scary whenever she passed by," adding, "I don't understand why she was found there."

Claims have also emerged in online communities and elsewhere that "even among local residents, the Canary Island palm trees on that farm are densely planted and have many sharp, hard parts on the trees, making approach itself difficult."

Jang's boyfriend also stated, "Until the day of her disappearance, there was nothing so difficult that would drive her to take her own life."

Pyo Chang-won, head of the Pyo Crime Science Research Institute, also emphasized, "As the decomposition of the body has progressed significantly, we should not make a final judgment on whether it was a homicide simply based on the appearance at the time of discovery."

Although Jang's mobile phone allowed location tracking for about 14 hours even after the initial missing person report, police reportedly failed to even check its GPS location at the time.

Previously, acting National Police Agency Commissioner General Yoo Jae-sung appeared before the National Assembly and stated, "It is presumed that Jang died by hanging," adding, "There are no traces suspected to be homicide."

Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Kim Hye-ju | Graphics by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.