[Comprehensive] The Mystery of the 'Sinjeong-dong Eopgi Rabbit Murder Case'... Will the Real Culprit Be Caught?

2005 'Sinjeong-dong Bizarre Rabbit' Case
Two or More Killed in Sinjeong-dong, Seoul... Third Victim Survives
Over 7 Matching Statements from Informants and Victims at the Time

A new witness has emerged in the bizarre rabbit murder case featured on "Unanswered Questions." Photo by SBS "Unanswered Questions"

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Will the true culprit of the so-called 'Sinjeong-dong Bizarre Rabbit Murder Case' that occurred in June 2005 be revealed? On the night of the 11th, SBS's 'Unanswered Questions' revisited the perpetrator of the serial murder and attempted kidnapping case known as the 'Sinjeong-dong Bizarre Rabbit Murder Case.'

The 'Sinjeong-dong Bizarre Rabbit Murder Case' originated when a survivor testified that they saw a 'Bizarre Rabbit' sticker attached to a shoe cabinet at the crime scene. Related Article | [Han Seung-gon's Unsolved Notebook]③ Sinjeong-dong Serial Murder Case... The Clue is 'Bizarre Rabbit'

On June 6, 2005, a woman in her 20s, Ms. A, who lived in Sinjeong-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, was found dead wrapped in a rice sack tied with a string in a nearby residential area. Then, five months later, on November 20, a woman in her 40s, Ms. B, was found dead again in the Sinjeong-dong residential area, wrapped in plastic with a string as if packaged.

The third incident occurred on May 31, 2006. The victim at that time barely escaped with her life. After leaving a multi-family house where the perpetrators were, the victim hid behind a shoe cabinet and testified, "There was a 'Bizarre Rabbit' sticker right in front of my eyes. There was a rabbit-like sticker on the shoe cabinet." Since then, this case has also been called the 'Sinjeong-dong Bizarre Rabbit Case.'

The incidents shared △ the time and place of the crimes, △ the methods used. However, no clues to identify the culprit emerged, and the case remained unsolved. Then, a tipster approached the 'Unanswered Questions' production team with new clues, drawing renewed attention.

Whistleblower Mr. Kang. Photo by SBS "Unanswered Questions"

◆ Tipster Visited Culprit's House After First Incident?

According to the broadcast, the tipster, Kang Min-seok (pseudonym), told the production team that after his military discharge, he worked part-time cutting cable TV wires and visited a multi-family house in Sinjeong-dong around September 2006.

According to Kang, the house's front gate was a black-colored iron door. After passing through the gate, he headed to the semi-basement and knocked on the doors, but when there was no response, he went up to the second floor.

There, Kang saw a shoe cabinet with a 'Bizarre Rabbit' sticker attached. On top of the shoe cabinet, there was a 'paper flower' presumed to have been made by children.

After organizing the cable wires around the second-floor house, Kang met a man as he was leaving the house. Kang said the man approached him and asked, "We heard you knocking on our door; why did you knock?"

Kang recalled the man was wearing a black hat pulled down low. Kang said, "I was puzzled. I was sure no one was home when I knocked, so I wondered why he asked that." According to Kang, the man appeared to be in his early to mid-30s.

Photo by SBS 'Unanswered Questions'

Then, Kang followed the man to the semi-basement house and said, "Inside the house, there were many strings in the living room." When Kang asked the man, "Do you work in packaging or something?" the man replied, "Ah, yes, well..." hesitantly, Kang recalled.

Entering the master bedroom, Kang also saw many strings there. He said, "It felt very cold, somewhat different from ordinary houses."

There was another strange point. Kang explained that while he was finishing up and organizing the collected cable wires, the man approached him from behind.

Kang described the situation: "When he came, he had taken off his hat and upper clothes and asked me for some scrap wires." Kang said, "I told him these wires can't be used for TV connections."

The man replied, "Ah, it's not for TV." Kang responded, "Since these aren't ours, I can't give them to you."

Nevertheless, the man persistently requested cable wires from Kang.

When the man showed no sign of leaving, Kang eventually cut about 3 meters of cable wire and gave it to him. Kang said this was the first time such an incident happened, so he remembered the house well.

Surprisingly, Kang's memories matched many parts of the third incident victim's testimony.

According to the third incident victim, Ms. C, she passed through a black iron door of a house in Sinjeong-dong and headed to the semi-basement, where she witnessed numerous strings inside the house.

She also saw a shoe cabinet with a 'Bizarre Rabbit' sticker attached on the second-floor stairs where she hid to escape and said there was another man besides the one who kidnapped her in the semi-basement house.

Mr. C from the third case is talking about the incident at that time. Photo by SBS "Unanswered Questions"

Summarizing the testimonies of Kang and survivor Ms. C, the matching points are ① a house in a Sinjeong-dong residential area ② a black-colored iron door ③ passing the iron door to the 'right' semi-basement room among two ④ numerous strings inside the house ⑤ a shoe cabinet on the second floor ⑥ the 'Bizarre Rabbit' sticker on that shoe cabinet ⑦ 'paper flowers' and 'flowerpots' presumed to be made by children.

Experts analyzed that the two testimonies are consistent. Professor Park Ji-sun of Sookmyung Women's University (Psychology) said, "Descriptions of flowerpots and such are very detailed considering it's recalling events from 10 years ago," adding, "They are recounting the most impressive parts of their experience that day."

She continued, "They carefully moved backward without breaking anything and sat right behind the shoe cabinet while working; this shows it is something they personally experienced."

Professor Oh Yoon-sung of Soonchunhyang University (Police Administration) analyzed, "Because they were not psychologically dominated and were on equal footing with the man, the tipster's memory could be more detailed than the victim's."

Meanwhile, survivor Ms. C testified that there were two men at the crime scene, not just one. She explained, "One man came out, and then another man came out."

According to the victim's testimony, the suspects in the Sinjeong-dong serial murder case are at least two, not one.

However, Kang said he only saw one man at the time. The production team conducted hypnosis to see if Kang had any memories he might have missed.

The hypnosis was assisted by former profiler Kwon Il-yong (Professor at Dongguk University Police and Judicial College), who handled the hypnosis investigation of serial killer Kang Ho-soon.

Photo by SBS 'Geugeos-i Algo Sipda'

Under hypnosis, Kang said he saw a man inside the house who looked "fierce." Then, while organizing work outside the house, he said the man who asked him for cable wires was a different man.

Regarding the man's face, he said, "He looked amusing," and "His eyebrows were drawn like seagulls." Professor Kwon analyzed, "He didn't see one person twice but saw two different people."

Ultimately, the memory of two men mentioned by survivor Ms. C matched Kang's memory. Their memories matched on at least seven points, including the 'Bizarre Rabbit' sticker.

Based on Kang's memory, the production team created a composite sketch of the man with 'seagull' eyebrows and began searching for him.

◆ Similar to Composite Sketch of One of the Two Robbery and Rape Suspects... Released in 2018

Later, unexpected news came from Busan. It was suspected that a duo with a history of sexual assault near Sinjeong-dong in June 2005 might be the suspects in the previous cases.

According to Detective Jeong Woo-jung of Busan Gijang Police Station, who informed the production team, the duo, Jang Seok-pil (pseudonym) and Bae Young-ho (pseudonym), committed two robbery and rape crimes together in 2008.

One of the duo arrested lived in Sinjeong-dong. It was also revealed that one of the female victims lived near the house of Ms. A, the first murder victim in Sinjeong-dong.

Jang Seok-pil was sentenced to 12 years and is serving his sentence, while Bae Young-ho was sentenced to 10 years and was released in 2018. The production team showed Kang Min-seok a photo of Bae Young-ho. Upon seeing the photo, Kang said, "The eyes are exactly the same. He looks alike."

Photo by SBS 'Unanswered Questions'

◆ Strings Seen at Bae Young-ho's House... Related to Sinjeong-dong Bizarre Rabbit Case?

The production team visited Bae Young-ho's house. When the team mentioned Jang Seok-pil's name, Bae showed displeasure.

Upon entering the front door, the team saw strings. Strings were placed not only on the floor but throughout the house. Bae said, "I did manual labor with Jang. We weren't close for long."

Bae also said, "I'm timid, so I couldn't kill anyone. Even if someone told me to, who would say 'I did it'? I wouldn't even live in a semi-basement if I could help it."

When asked if he wore makeup or eye makeup, Bae replied, "I really hate wearing makeup."

String placed at the entrance of the living room in Baeyoungho's home. Photo by SBS 'Unanswered Questions'

Experts expressed doubts about Bae Young-ho's statement regarding the period of friendship with Jang Seok-pil. Professor Oh said, "Regarding sexual crimes, sharing such acts requires a certain rapport between the two; without that, it would be difficult to act recklessly."

Professor Park analyzed the testimony that Bae used earplugs to cover the victim's eyes: "Earplugs are an unfamiliar object. Although not originally intended for that use, using earplugs to cover the eyes suggests the perpetrators went through trial and error to prevent victims from seeing their faces and eventually brought earplugs as a tool."

A police official said, "In my criminal experience, it is rare for two people to jointly commit robbery and rape crimes in the same neighborhood."