'Gwangmyeong Three Family Murder Case' Defendant "My Fault"
Controversy Over Demand for 'Freedom' Despite Admitting Charges
A man in his 40s, Mr. A, who brutally murdered his wife and two teenage sons, claiming they usually ignored him, acknowledged the charges during his final statement but said, "Our country does not carry out executions, right?" and requested, "Please grant me freedom, even if only for a short time."
Mr. A, who entered the court last October for the murder of the Gwangmyeong family of three [Photo by Yonhap News]
The Criminal Division 2 of the Ansan Branch of Suwon District Court (Chief Judge Nam Cheon-gyu) held the sentencing hearing for Mr. A (46) on the 31st. Mr. A was indicted and detained on charges of killing his wife (then 42) and two sons (then 15 and 10 years old) with pre-prepared blunt and sharp weapons at their residence in an apartment in Gwangmyeong-si, Gyeonggi Province, on October 25 last year.
Investigations revealed that Mr. A committed the horrific crime because he believed his wife and sons usually ignored and defied him. The prosecution explained, "The defendant reassured his children by saying 'Let's get along from now on' and tried to be a good father, sending his wife out, thereby facilitating the crime. He also showed meticulousness by using staircases without CCTV to make it appear as if he was not at the scene."
They continued, "Due to the defendant's brutal crime, the wife had no choice but to close her eyes after witnessing her beloved two children being killed by their father. The two sons were tragically killed by their father without understanding the reason, ending their lives at a young age," explaining the reason for seeking the death penalty.
The prosecution also pointed out, "Although Mr. A confessed to the crime, his incomprehensible claims of dissociative identity disorder and amnesia raise doubts about whether he is genuinely remorseful."
"Please grant me freedom, even if only for a short time"
In response, Mr. A's defense attorney stated, "The mentions of amnesia and dissociative identity disorder were not claims for diminished responsibility or mitigation but were made during the process of telling his story. We humbly apologize to the victims and their families, and although it is difficult to say, he is remorseful and feels a heavy sense of guilt. Considering that he has resolved to accept appropriate punishment for his wrongdoing, we ask the court for a wise judgment."
During his final statement, Mr. A said, "Everything happened because of my fault. I have no intention to defend my crime and will accept whatever the court's decision is."
At the same time, he added, "If I have a wish, it is that you grant me freedom, even if only for a short time. Life no longer has meaning for me, and even if it is the death penalty, our country does not carry out executions, right? Please show mercy."
Earlier, before his detention, Mr. A reportedly told reporters, "I lost my memory eight years ago and regained it after contracting COVID-19 this time," a statement that was difficult to understand. He also said, "I investigated what happened over the past eight years on my own, and my mother was abandoned, and I was made to work like an ATM machine, which made me furious," seemingly shifting responsibility to the victims, causing controversy. During the investigation, Mr. A also claimed to have lost his memory eight years ago and to suffer from dissociative identity disorder, but the integrated psychological analysis by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office found all these statements to be false.
Mr. A's sentencing is scheduled for April 28.
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