Mother-in-law who ran away found as skeletal remains in septic tank after 5 years... Who was the culprit?

Daughter-in-law Killed and Abandoned... 3-Year Prison Sentence
No Dementia Diagnosis Contrary to Claims

A shocking case in which skeletal remains were found in a septic tank in front of a villa in a residential area of Gunsan, Jeonbuk, has been brought back into the spotlight.

Recently, JTBC's 'Case Manager' covered the incident from 2013 when skeletal remains were discovered in a septic tank in a residential area. Analysis confirmed that the remains belonged to an elderly man in his 80s, Mr. A, who lived nearby.

Septic tank where skeleton was found [Image source=JTBC broadcast screen capture]

The skeleton was estimated to have been deceased for about 4 to 5 years. Mr. A's son and daughter-in-law had told neighbors that about five years ago, while the wife was out, Mr. A seemed to have run away. At that time, the couple claimed that "his clothes disappeared and he took about 2 million won in cash with him."

However, when the police began investigating the case, the wife among the son and daughter-in-law soon confessed that she had killed Mr. A and disposed of the body. The husband worked away from home and only occasionally came back, so he had taken his wife's words at face value that his mother had run away.

The wife testified, "My mother-in-law had dementia and while I was cleaning up her excrement, she cursed at me saying, 'You go out late because your husband is not here, are you cheating, you crazy b****.'" Angered by Mr. A's insults, the wife pushed him, causing him to hit his head on the door threshold. Ultimately, the wife was charged with assault leading to death and abandonment of a corpse, and was sentenced to three years in prison.

Meanwhile, there is a significant backstory to this case. During the police investigation, an unexpected fact was uncovered: contrary to the wife's claim, Mr. A had never been diagnosed with dementia. Additionally, some neighbors testified that before his disappearance, Mr. A had severe conflicts with his daughter-in-law, and because of this, he sometimes ate meals at other houses.