Latest Serial Killer Choi Sin-jong Insults Victims' Families... Life Sentence Upheld in Second Trial
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Choi Sin-jong (32), who was tried for brutally murdering two women, was sentenced to life imprisonment in the appellate court on the 7th, following the first trial.
The bereaved families watching the court ruling cried out, "Bring back the dead child," but Choi Sin-jong even hurled insults at them. Prison officers, fearing a possible clash, escorted Choi Sin-jong out of the courtroom.
The 1st Criminal Division of the Jeonju Branch of the Gwangju High Court (Chief Judge Kim Seong-ju) dismissed both the prosecution's and the defendant's appeals in the appellate trial of Choi Sin-jong, who was charged with rape, robbery-murder, and corpse disposal, and upheld the life sentence from the original trial.
The court stated, "The defendant brutally murdered two women at different times and places, and the consequences are absolutely unforgivable," adding, "Although the defendant denies all crimes except murder and corpse disposal, considering the evidence submitted by the prosecution and the defendant's initial confession, the defendant's crimes can be recognized as guilty," explaining the sentencing rationale.
Furthermore, the court criticized, "The defendant committed the crimes solely to satisfy sexual desires and to rob money," and "He only claimed innocence without submitting a single letter of remorse, frequently changed his statements during investigations and in court, and even gave absurd answers while denying the crimes."
It continued, "There are no mitigating circumstances regarding the defendant's motive, and the blameworthiness is high. Despite the police investigation into the first murder being underway, he calmly committed the second crime," concluding, "Since the sentencing conditions have not changed compared to the first trial, it cannot be seen that the original sentence exceeded the reasonable scope of discretion."
Around 3 p.m. on May 12 last year, a woman's body was found in an orchard in Sang-gwan-myeon, Wanju-gun, Jeonbuk, and the police are identifying the victim. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The bereaved families watching the court ruling strongly criticized Choi Sin-jong, demanding, "Execute him." However, Choi Sin-jong did not show remorse and hurled insults at them.
Choi Sin-jong had previously confessed to all the crimes during the prosecution's investigation. However, in the appellate trial, he retracted his statements, claiming, "I testified as the prosecutor wanted, so the facts of the case are incorrect," and expressed his grievances.
On April 15 of last year, Choi Sin-jong raped A (34, female), a friend of his wife, then robbed her gold bracelet and cash before killing her. He was arrested on charges of abandoning the corpse near a river. It was also investigated that four days after the first crime, on the 19th, he killed B (29, female), whom he met through a mobile chat app, and abandoned her body in an orchard.
At that time, Choi Sin-jong admitted to murder and corpse disposal charges but denied robbery and rape, making excuses such as "(I was) blackout drunk."
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