40s Man Sentenced to 35 Years in First Trial for Killing Stepmother to Seize Property

Court: "Using as a means of life... Bad nature of the crime"

A man in his 40s who was tried for killing his stepmother to seize her property and then secretly burying her was sentenced to a heavy prison term.

The Seoul Southern District Court Criminal Division 15 (Presiding Judge Yang Hwan-seung) sentenced Bae (49) to 35 years in prison on the 23rd for charges including robbery and murder. He was also ordered to wear an electronic tracking device (electronic anklet) for 20 years.

The court stated, "Human life is invaluable beyond anything else, and any case that uses life as a means for economic gain cannot be tolerated," adding, "The defendant had previously been sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison for robbery and injury, served his sentence, and showed behavior during the investigation of lying and attempting to minimize and evade the crime."

It continued, "However, considering that the crime does not appear to have been committed in a planned manner, the gains from the crime were not significant, and the defendant has shown remorse, albeit belatedly," explaining the reasons for sentencing.

Bae is accused of killing his stepmother Lee (75) at her home in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on October 19 last year after a dispute arose when he tried to take his biological sister’s disability pension bankbook. He then secretly buried her near a reed field by a river in Yecheon, Gyeongbuk. After the secret burial, he withdrew and used 1.65 million won from the pension.

Investigations revealed that after losing his job in April of the same year, Bae borrowed money from those around him and squandered his assets on betting on motorboat and bicycle races and supporting internet broadcasts, ending up in debt. He also wrote a will stating that he would inherit all of Lee’s estate upon her death.

Earlier, the prosecution demanded life imprisonment at the sentencing hearing, stating, "The defendant killed his mother for economic reasons and concealed the body, showing extremely poor criminal conduct."