[Issue Check] From DNA to Retrial Petition... Revisiting the 'Lee Chun-jae Serial Murders'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwanju] The 'Lee Chun-jae Serial Murder Case (formerly the Hwaseong Serial Murder Case),' which seemed destined to remain an eternal cold case, was finally unveiled after more than 30 years. Advances in forensic science succeeded in detecting DNA from evidence collected at the time of the incidents, identifying a prime suspect, and pinpointing Lee Chun-jae, who was serving a life sentence.

After extensive efforts by the police, including the deployment of profilers, Lee Chun-jae confessed to his crimes. Following his confession, the case was shaken once again. The '8th case,' previously believed to have been solved with the arrest of the true culprit, was confirmed to be Lee Chun-jae’s doing, and four additional murders, including the long-unsolved 'Hwaseong elementary school student disappearance case,' were uncovered. The police and prosecution’s 'haphazard' investigations and human rights violations at the time were exposed to the public, and Yoon, who was wrongfully imprisoned for 20 years as the alleged culprit, filed for a retrial, which was granted by the court.

The 'Lee Chun-jae Serial Murder Case,' more dramatic than any movie, is still ongoing. Yoon’s retrial is about to begin, and the mistakes of the police and prosecution involved in the past investigations must be corrected. Some of the cases Lee Chun-jae confessed to have not yet been clearly verified. Here is a summary of the intense four-month-long pursuit of Lee Chun-jae.

Yoon Mo (52), who was arrested as the culprit of the 8th Hwaseong serial murder case and has claimed to have suffered "unjust imprisonment" for 20 years, is entering the Suwon District Court in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do on the morning of the 13th with a petition for retrial. [Image source=Yonhap News]

◇After 33 years... Lee Chun-jae identified through DNA= The Lee Chun-jae serial murder case dates back to September 1986. At that time, a woman in her 70s was found murdered in a pasture in Annyeong-ri, Taean-eup, Hwaseong-gun, Gyeonggi Province. The horrific nightmare repeated 10 times over five years. Although there were a total of 10 victims, the police mobilized 2 million personnel over the years but ultimately failed to identify a suspect. Contrary to popular belief, the perpetrator left many pieces of evidence at the scenes. Although history has no 'what ifs,' if forensic technology had been as advanced as it is today, such a large number of victims might not have occurred, nor would it have taken so long to identify the culprit. Thus, the case seemed destined to remain the worst cold case in South Korean history.

The police never gave up on the investigation. Many of the pieces of evidence found by the police at the time are still kept by the cold case division. In July last year, the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency sent some of the evidence to the National Forensic Service (NFS) for DNA analysis. This was to check whether new DNA could be detected as forensic science advances dramatically every year. The NFS reported back to the police that DNA detected from three pieces of evidence matched a certain individual. That was the moment Lee Chun-jae’s existence was confirmed by the police. Lee Chun-jae was serving a life sentence after being convicted of murdering his sister-in-law in Cheongju, Chungbuk, in 1994. The police intensified the investigation by deploying numerous profilers and succeeded in obtaining Lee Chun-jae’s confession on October 1.

◇"I committed all 10 murders"?a confession that shocked the nation= Lee Chun-jae’s confession was truly shocking. He confessed not only to the 10 murders in Hwaseong but also to 14 other murders and over 30 sexual offenses. Particularly shocking was his admission that the '8th case,' previously believed to have been solved with the arrest of the true culprit, was also his doing. The 8th case involved the death of Park (then 13) in Jinan-ri, Taean-eup, Hwaseong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, on September 16, 1988. Park was found dead after being sexually assaulted in her home. The police identified Yoon as the suspect in July the following year and arrested him on charges of rape and murder. Yoon was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Suwon District Court in October of the same year, and the sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court. He served 20 years before being paroled in 2009.

Lee Chun-jae’s confession that he was responsible for the 8th case caused a dramatic turnaround. The Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency’s investigation headquarters stated in a briefing, "A comparative analysis of the suspect’s (Lee Chun-jae’s) confession and the scene conditions from the investigation records showed that most of the scene details matched." This indicated that the 8th case was indeed Lee Chun-jae’s doing. Lee Chun-jae reportedly provided detailed statements about the date and location of the crime, the method of intrusion, the victim’s appearance, and the modus operandi. Notably, his description of 'wearing socks on his hands and entering barefoot' matched the scene conditions.

It was also confirmed that the 'radioisotope' verification results by the NFS, which served as decisive evidence for Yoon’s arrest and conviction, contained errors. Although the police and prosecution engaged in disputes over whether these were errors or fabrications, it was clearly established that the evidence was flawed. Yoon filed for a retrial, and the court decided to proceed with it. Yoon has testified that he was subjected to coercive interrogation by the investigative authorities at the time. Attention is focused on whether the 20 years of wrongful imprisonment will be rectified.

◇Urgent need for 'reflection on mistakes' to relieve victims’ grievances= The cases revealed by Lee Chun-jae’s confession are not limited to serial murders. The long-unsolved 'Hwaseong elementary school student disappearance case' is a representative example. Two officers, including the detective in charge and a detective, were booked on charges of corpse concealment and evidence tampering. They are suspected of hiding the body of Kim (8), a second-grade elementary school student who disappeared around 12:30 p.m. on July 7, 1989, in Taean-eup, Hwaseong. It is known that Kim’s father requested an investigation twice, but the police ignored these requests and treated the case as a simple disappearance.

The Lee Chun-jae case exposed the bare face of past investigative agencies. As Yoon’s retrial proceeds, more mistakes by the police and prosecution may come to light. Although the statute of limitations has passed, making punishment difficult, many police investigators and prosecutors involved in this case have already been booked. How can the grievances of the wronged victims be resolved? Only sincere reflection on past mistakes and substantial victim relief can soothe their pain even a little.