The prosecution has again demanded life imprisonment in the appellate trial for Lee Eun-hae (32) and Jo Hyun-soo (31), who were indicted on charges of the 'valley murder.'
On the afternoon of the 24th, during the second trial sentencing hearing for Lee Eun-hae, who was charged with murder and attempted murder, held at the Seoul High Court Criminal Division 6-1 (Presiding Judges Won Jong-chan, Park Won-cheol, Lee Ui-young), the prosecution requested the court to "sentence the defendants to life imprisonment, judging it as a murder by commission."
They added, "They set a trap and continuously attempted to make the victim fall into it, eventually causing him to fall into the trap," emphasizing, "This is different from simply neglecting to rescue and leaving him unattended."
Lee Eun-hae and Jo Hyun-soo denied the charges. Lee Eun-hae stated, "Taking someone's life over mere money is unthinkable."
Earlier, they were arrested and indicted on charges including causing the death of husband A by forcing him to jump from a 4-meter-high rock into a 3-meter-deep valley stream without rescue equipment at Yongsogye Valley in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, on June 30, 2019.
They are also accused of attempting to kill A by feeding him food mixed with pufferfish blood in February and May 2019 or by making him fall into fishing pond water.
Investigations revealed that Lee Eun-hae economically exploited A for years, and when financial ruin ensued and his utility value diminished, she planned with her lover Jo Hyun-soo to kill A and claim 800 million won in life insurance benefits.
The first trial concluded this case as indirect murder and sentenced Lee Eun-hae to life imprisonment. Jo Hyun-soo was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Although the court did not accept the prosecution's claim of 'murder by commission' through gaslighting (psychological control), it recognized the charge of 'murder by omission (indirect murder)' as guilty.
When a prohibited act is directly executed, it is called 'commission,' and when a required act is not performed, it is called 'omission.' Generally, sentences for murder by commission are much harsher than those for murder by omission.
The first trial court found that they forced A, who could not swim, to jump into the valley and, despite recognizing that leaving him in the water could result in death, did not take rescue measures.
Furthermore, the court stated, "The defendants conspired and executed a planned murder of the victim multiple times and, without any remorse, claimed the victim's life insurance money to gain economic benefits," adding, "The victim, who had devoted love and dedication to defendant Lee Eun-hae, ended his life in extreme fear and pain, unaware that he was being murdered due to the greed of his beloved wife and trusted acquaintance."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
