On the 16th, suspects Lee Eun-hae and Jo Hyun-su in the 'Valley Murder' case were apprehended 17 days after being publicly wanted and were detained at the Goyang Police Station in Gyeonggi Province. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Su-mi Hwang] The suspects in the 'Valley Murder' case, Lee Eun-hae and Jo Hyun-soo, were apprehended 17 days after being publicly wanted.
According to SBS on the 16th, the Metropolitan Investigation Unit of the Incheon Police Agency announced that around 12:40 PM that day, they arrested Lee and accomplice Jo at an officetel in Deogyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do on charges of murder and attempted murder. It was reported that no other accomplices were present at the time of the arrest.
The police had identified the officetel as the hiding place of Lee and Jo but had not determined the exact building and unit number. The police obtained the precise location through Lee's father by encouraging surrender. Eventually, Lee and Jo opened the door themselves without much resistance and were arrested.
The police plan to detain them at the nearby Goyang Police Station and later transfer them to the Incheon District Prosecutor's Office after consultation with the prosecution.
Previously, Lee and Jo disappeared suddenly while under investigation for the murder of Mr. A at Yongsogye Valley in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do on June 30, 2019. Although the prosecution issued a public wanted notice on the 30th of last month, the situation remained unchanged. No records of their card or phone usage were found, and the investigation did not progress.
Various analyses have emerged regarding their perfect disappearance. In particular, the dominant view is that they had accomplices.
According to a YTN report on the 16th, Professor Oh Yoon-sung of the Department of Police Administration at Soonchunhyang University focused on the high-rise officetel where Lee and Jo were caught. Professor Oh suggested that it seems unlikely they had pre-rented the officetel before fleeing and presumed they received help from others.
Regarding suspicions that Lee and Jo might be members of a criminal organization or that additional accomplices exist, he said, "This is something that needs to be verified." Professor Oh added, "Considering that they have long been involved in illegal quasi-sexual acts and that many people around them have a criminal affinity, the possibility that they received help from those people cannot be ruled out."
Professor Lee Soo-jung of the Department of Criminal Psychology at Kyonggi University also emphasized in an interview on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' that "It is necessary not only to focus on Lee Eun-hae individually but also to investigate friends, accomplices, or colleagues to trace their whereabouts."
In fact, there are several individuals suspected of being accomplices in the valley murder case. First is Mr. B, who was with them at the scene during the incident. B, who has 28 prior convictions, is currently incarcerated in a detention center. He was arrested in December 2020 for acting as a propofol courier and was sentenced to one year in prison in May 2021 for violating the Narcotics Control Act.
Director Pyo Chang-won of the Crime Science Research Institute also focused on the insurance agent who arranged for Lee Eun-hae to take out insurance under her husband Mr. A's name as a possible accomplice. On KBS's 'The Live,' Director Pyo said, "He arranged an 800 million won life insurance policy and maintained the contract despite highly suspicious circumstances. He knew Lee Eun-hae and even traveled with them. The possibility that he is an accomplice is quite high."
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