[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lim Juhyung] The main perpetrators of the so-called 'Osan Skeleton Case,' who brutally beat a runaway teenage peer to death and then secretly buried the body in a nearby mountain, have been sentenced to heavy prison terms.
The Criminal Division 11 of Suwon District Court (Presiding Judge Lee Chang-yeol) announced on the 14th that A (23), charged with violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (including retaliatory murder), was sentenced to 30 years in prison, and B (23) was sentenced to 25 years in prison. The court also ordered both to wear electronic location tracking devices for 20 years.
The court pointed out, "The defendants planned the crime in advance by preparing tools and murdered the victim," adding, "They concealed the crime by hiding the body, and after the crime, they took photos of the corpse and showed them to people around them, boasting about it."
It continued, "The defendants showed no remorse, committing additional crimes such as violating the Electronic Financial Transactions Act after this incident," and ruled, "Considering the serious outcome of the victim's death, the defendants bear heavy responsibility, and severe punishment is inevitable."
A and others are accused of strangling C (then 17), a member of the 'runaway gang,' unconscious and then collectively assaulting and killing him at a factory in Naesammi-dong, Osan-si, Gyeonggi-do, on the afternoon of September 8, 2018, and secretly burying the body in a nearby mountain.
Public Wanted Poster for Identification of Suspect C / Photo by Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency
The term 'runaway gang' refers to a community where runaway youths live together.
Previously, A and others lured runaway youths by promising shelter and money through social networking services (SNS), formed a runaway gang, and instructed them to commit illegal acts such as theft, collecting fake bank accounts, and delivering check cards.
They also established rules within the runaway gang and subjected the youths to harsh treatment under the pretexts of 'killing training' and 'sparring.' Those who could not endure the abuse and tried to escape the gang were caught, confined in the lodging, and beaten.
Unable to endure the violence, C stole money and shoes from the gang's lodging and ran away.
Meanwhile, about a month before C left the gang, in June 2018, while under police investigation for abducting and luring minors, A and others learned that C had testified against them and planned and carried out C's murder.
C's body was accidentally discovered by the owner of a mountain graveyard about nine months after the crime, in June of last year. At that time, the body was in a skeletal state.
Subsequently, the police formed a dedicated investigation team of 44 members to begin the investigation.
The investigation team narrowed down about 38,000 individuals, including runaways of similar age, long-term absentees, and those without resident registration cards, based on the autopsy results from the National Forensic Service, and conducted identity verification, ultimately solving the case in August of last year.
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