"Goyujeong Stabbed Victims 15 Times with a Bladed Weapon" Bloodstains Reveal Who the Culprit Is [Han Seunggon's Case Notebook]

Goyujeong, Jeju Pension Dining Room No. 9, Kitchen No. 5... 15 Times Victim Stabbed with Knife
Tracking the Killer through Bloodstains at the Horrific Crime Scene
Analysis of How the Weapon Was Wielded and the Brutality of the Crime
Truth Revealed through Bloodstains in the 1997 'Itaewon Murder Case'

On June 1st last year, at around 10:32 AM, Go Yoo-jeong was urgently arrested by detectives from the Jeju Dongbu Police Station on charges including murder in the underground parking lot of an apartment in Cheongju, Chungbuk. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "Bloodstains were found on the walls and ceiling of the pension's living room and dining room, as well as the bathroom adjacent to the living room, with a particularly large amount of bloodstains in the dining room."

The Jeju Eastern Police Department, which investigated the 'Jeju Ex-Husband Murder Case,' conducted a luminol test on May 31 last year at a pension in Jeju City, the crime scene, and upon discovering bloodstains, brought in the National Forensic Service (NFS) and bloodstain pattern analysis experts to investigate the site on June 4.

The bloodstains found on a wall that day showed a pattern starting at a height of 150 cm and gradually lowering, presumed to be the place where Ko Yoo-jeong (37) initially attacked her ex-husband A (then 36 years old) and finally took the body.

This bloodstain evidence was submitted at the sixth trial held on November 4 last year. According to the NFS analysis, Ko Yoo-jeong stabbed the victim 15 times with a weapon in three locations: nine times in the dining room, five times in the kitchen, and three times at the entrance.

Considering the size, shape, and location of the bloodstains scattered at the scene, the investigation authorities believe that the victim was ambushed while in a drowsy state after taking sleeping pills, fled toward the entrance, and Ko Yoo-jeong chased and continuously stabbed the victim with the weapon.

Previously, Ko Yoo-jeong's side claimed that she stabbed once impulsively because her ex-husband tried to sexually assault her, but the bloodstains found at the crime scene contradicted this claim.

Ko Yoo-jeong (36), who was arrested on charges of murdering her ex-husband, is leaving the Jeju East Police Station detention center and moving to the statement recording room. The photo was taken in June of last year. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Transfer stains also served as evidence. Transfer stains occur when blood on a weapon splatters outward as the weapon is stabbed into and withdrawn from a person.

Earlier, the police noted traces of the victim's movement but concluded that the victim was attacked when temporarily unable to fight back and continued the investigation.

The prosecution rebutted Ko Yoo-jeong's claim, stating, "The shape of the bloodstains clearly contradicts the defendant's assertion that the victim was stabbed impulsively." Ko Yoo-jeong claimed that the victim tried to sexually assault her, so she stabbed once with a weapon in the innermost dining room of the pension and then the victim fled to the entrance.

At the sentencing hearing on the 20th of last month, the prosecution sought the death penalty for Ko Yoo-jeong, and at the final hearing before sentencing held today (the 10th), Ko Yoo-jeong will make her last statement.

◆ 'Bloodstains' at the crime scene... Analysis of how the weapon was wielded

Bloodstains found at a crime scene reveal much more than just evidence. They allow us to infer the actions of the victim, suspect, and others who created the bloodstains.

According to profilers and forensic police, bloodstains are broadly classified into two types. First, bloodstains that are 'formed by flying blood' belong to the spatter group, and those that are 'not flying' are non-spatter bloodstains.

Blood maintains a spherical shape while flying through the air for a certain period. When such bloodstains hit an object at a right angle, they form nearly perfect circular stains. At angles less than 90 degrees, the smaller the angle, the narrower and longer the elliptical bloodstain becomes.

These bloodstains occur when blood droplets hit an object and the surface tension holds until the blood volume pushes outward, causing secondary bloodstains in the direction of movement. The direction in which these bloodstains spread is opposite to the point of origin (the bloodstain's starting point).

When the perpetrator strikes the victim, wounds occur, and due to the impact with the weapon, blood can fly off; this is called 'impact spatter.'

This type of bloodstain allows inference of the assailant's attack behavior. Among bloodstains frequently observed at crime scenes, some can help estimate the shape and form of the weapon wielded by the suspect; these are called 'cast-off stains.'

Cast-off stains are created when blood on a weapon is flung off due to strong impact, rapid swinging, or sudden stopping motions during the act of wielding the weapon.

According to the NFS, analyzing various characteristics of bloodstains at the crime scene enables diverse inferences. For example, if the perpetrator and victim struggled intensely, the perpetrator might also have bled.

If free-falling bloodstains (blood falling under gravity from a stationary state) or bloodstains spattered at angles different from others are found among the spattered blood, these may be bloodstains from the perpetrator.

However, discovering consistent bloodstain patterns at a crime scene is known to be very difficult. This is because perpetrators may artificially smear bloodstains, and bloodstains can appear in various forms due to contact with other objects or wiped blood.

Arthur John Patterson, an American identified as the true culprit in the "Itaewon Murder Case," was repatriated to South Korea through Incheon International Airport on Yeongjongdo Island on September 23, 2015, and is seen responding to questions from reporters. Photo by Yonhap News.

◆ Truth revealed through bloodstain analysis... 'Itaewon Murder Case'

A case where bloodstains played a crucial role in a murder investigation is the 'Itaewon Murder Case.' The bloodstains analyzed at the crime scene contributed decisively to bringing Arthur John Patterson, identified as the true culprit 19 years after the 1997 incident, from the United States to reveal the truth.

The 'Itaewon Murder Case' involved the stabbing murder of university student Jo Jung-pil (then 23 years old) in the restroom of a hamburger restaurant in Itaewon, Seoul, in April 1997.

Edward Lee, a Korean-American, and Patterson, who were at the restaurant that day, were prime suspects. The appellate court initially ruled Lee as the perpetrator. However, in 1998, the Supreme Court acquitted Lee due to insufficient evidence.

Subsequently, the prosecution identified Patterson as the true culprit and began reinvestigation, but he had already left for the United States. The Ministry of Justice located Patterson and requested extradition from the U.S.

Meanwhile, a new investigative technique called 'bloodstain pattern analysis' was introduced in Korea. The prosecution requested the police to provide crime scene photos and investigation records and commissioned bloodstain pattern analysis.

On the afternoon of December 4, 2015, the verification date for Arthur John Patterson, an American identified as the perpetrator of the "Itaewon Murder Case," a reenactment set was installed at the annex of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu to recreate the scene of the incident.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ Prosecution indicts Patterson based on bloodstain analysis including 'lineal spurt stains'

According to the police, Jo was stabbed in the neck, severing the carotid artery, causing blood to spurt out like a fountain.

At a height of 1.4 meters on the restroom wall, there were many 'lineal spurt stains' where a large amount of blood was expelled at once. These stains occur when blood is expelled under pressure due to arterial or heart rupture.

Jo was stabbed in the right side of his neck while urinating, turned his body to the left while bleeding, was attacked again, and bled heavily.

There were also 'cast-off stains' on the right wall, presumed to be blood flung from the weapon that stabbed the victim's neck. A large amount of blood was found around the sink on the left wall, along with 'transfer stains' caused by contact with parts of the victim's body.

These are presumed to be marks of Jo struggling while being attacked multiple times. Considering the large amount of blood expelled, it is inferred that the perpetrator was also heavily stained with blood.

This inference matched witness testimony that Patterson was covered in blood, washed up, and changed clothes after the incident. Bloodstains from the victim's body were also clearly found on Patterson's shoes (drip stains).

Based on this, the prosecution indicted Patterson in December 2011. Patterson was eventually extradited to Korea in September 2015 and stood trial.

The first and second trials sentenced Patterson to 20 years in prison. The Supreme Court upheld the verdict in January 2017, stating, "It was sufficiently proven beyond reasonable doubt."

Scientific investigative techniques analyzing bloodstain patterns were introduced domestically in 2008. Earlier, the prosecution had indicted Lee alone for murder, arguing that the perpetrator was a large person capable of subduing Jo, who showed no signs of resistance, but Lee was acquitted.