Possibility of Planned Crime Including Evidence Destruction Suspicion
"Clumsy Despite Planning... Uneven Level of Planning"
The possibility that the stabbing rampage that took place in the Sillim-dong area of Gwanak-gu, Seoul was a premeditated crime is increasing. Based on the testimony of Chosun (33), who was arrested on charges of wielding a weapon against strangers, killing one person and seriously injuring three others, as well as evidence tampering circumstances, the police have been focusing their investigation on the likelihood that it was a planned crime. Whether the crime was premeditated is an important factor in determining the severity of a murder charge.
Chosun is accused of stabbing a man in his 20s more than 10 times with a weapon at the entrance of a shopping alley about 80 meters from Exit 4 of Sillim Station on Subway Line 2 at 2:07 p.m. on the 21st, killing him, and then wielding a weapon repeatedly against three men in their 30s inside the alley (charges include murder, etc.).
The police have been focusing their investigation on the possibility of Chosun’s premeditated crime. According to forensic analysis of Chosun’s mobile phone, he reset the phone he used before the crime and also smashed his home desktop PC with a hammer.
The suspect, Cho Seon, in the 'Shillim-dong Stabbing Incident' that resulted in four casualties, is being transferred from Seoul Gwanak Police Station to the prosecution on the morning of the 28th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Considering the police investigation results that Chosun searched for terms such as “Hong Kong random murder” and “forced hospitalization in psychiatric hospital” in early last month, as well as his testimony, it is possible that he reset his phone and damaged his PC to destroy evidence such as search records. Chosun stated during police questioning, “I planned the crime in advance and reset my smartphone because I was afraid of being caught.”
Experts have also analyzed that, based on the circumstances of evidence tampering by Chosun, it is highly likely to be a planned crime.
Professor Lee Su-jeong of the Department of Criminal Psychology at Kyonggi University said on the 27th on CBS Radio’s “Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show,” “Among the keywords he searched were methods of killing and vital points, so he probably reset his phone to erase traces of such search terms,” adding, “This can be seen as an attempt to erase his traces, so it can be presumed to be a planned crime.”
Professor Bae Sang-hoon of the Department of Police Administration at Woosuk University also analyzed in an interview on YTN Radio’s “News King Park Ji-hoon” on the same day, “The fact that he destroyed evidence in advance and practiced the crime beforehand suggests a higher degree of planning compared to other crimes,” and “Because he has a long criminal record, he seems to know well what to say in front of the media or police.” Chosun has three prior convictions for assault and 14 juvenile referrals.
After being caught by the police, Chosun claimed that he had been drinking or had taken fentanyl, a narcotic painkiller, but these were not true. His statement that he had a history of depression was also not confirmed in medical records. This suggests that he may have preemptively considered favorable mitigating factors in court and aimed to reduce his sentence by claiming diminished mental capacity.
However, there are some points that seem somewhat sloppy for a meticulously planned crime. On the day of the crime, Chosun purchased two weapons at a mart but left one of them in a taxi. Although he took a taxi, he did not pay the fare, and several police reports had already been filed before the stabbing incident in Sillim-dong.
Professor Bae explained the seemingly contradictory behavior of Chosun, who showed signs of being caught before the premeditated stabbing, by saying, “He can be seen as an unevenly planned criminal or a delayed planner,” adding, “So although the plan was prepared, there are inconsistencies such as leaving a weapon in the taxi, being counterattacked and falling by a woman, or just sitting down and grumbling somewhere after the crime.”
While he was perfectly prepared for the crime itself, such as searching in advance about weapons and vital points, he showed clumsy behavior in his escape route and weapon preparation stages after the crime.
Professor Bae added, “Rather than a perfect plan, it is a plan accumulated over time where he has a plan to execute the crime once certain conditions are met, and when a trigger (an event that causes the incident) is pulled, it explodes,” adding, “Therefore, planning and impulsiveness can coexist.”
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