Investigation Into Mutilated Body Found in Incheon Enters 5th Day; Difficulty in Identifying Victim

Police are facing difficulties in identifying the victim five days into the investigation of a case where parts of a body were discovered at a public recycling facility in Incheon.

The identity of the body, which was found at the Nambu Regional Resource Recovery Center in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, at approximately 2:28 p.m. on June 10, remains unconfirmed.

The body part, discovered by a center employee during the preliminary sorting process of recyclables, was a portion of a left leg that had been wrapped in bandages.

The physical measurements released by the police are a foot size of 210 mm and a length of 41 cm from just below the knee to the heel.

Police explained that these measurements were taken on the day the body was found and may differ from the victim's size while alive due to the body having been severed and dried.

The National Forensic Service is currently conducting a detailed analysis to determine specific information, including the gender of the victim.

Based on the physical measurements, police initially suspected the victim could be a young student or a woman. They checked all elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as special education schools in Incheon for any students with unexcused or long-term absences, but no anomalies were found.

It is reported that there were no matches when the DNA obtained from the body was compared against the DNA of previously reported missing persons.

The police, who have set up an investigation headquarters with approximately 60 personnel, are tracking the collection routes of transport vehicles, as the mutilated body was mixed in with recyclables brought to the center.

The center begins receiving recyclables at 4:00 a.m. and processes the entire volume on the same day, starting the sorting work for glass bottles, cans, and plastics at 9:00 a.m.

On the day the body was found, a total of approximately 35 tons of recyclables were delivered to the center in 34 separate shipments. Police have secured dashcam footage and driving records from eight transport companies and are meticulously checking the areas where the items were collected.

However, due to the vast area covered, it is expected to take a considerable amount of time to determine the exact time and location where the body was abandoned.

Previously, the National Forensic Service provided a preliminary verbal opinion to the police stating that it was "unable to determine the age or gender of the body." It is reported that it typically takes two to three weeks for the results of a detailed forensic analysis to be released.

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