A travel suitcase containing a corpse was found inside a concrete structure on the veranda of a residential area in Geoje City, Gyeongnam. Photo by Gyeongnam Police Agency
A man in his 50s has been indicted for murdering his live-in girlfriend and burying her body in cement inside a suitcase.
The Criminal Division 2 of the Tongyeong Branch of the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office (headed by Song Inho) announced on the 11th that it had indicted Mr. A in his 50s on charges including murder.
According to the prosecution, Mr. A is accused of killing his live-in girlfriend, Ms. B, and concealing her body at a residence in Geoje around October 10, 2008.
He allegedly got into a fight with Ms. B, who was in her 30s at the time, and fatally struck her head and face with a blunt object. He then placed her body in a suitcase and moved it to an outdoor veranda.
He stacked bricks around the suitcase and poured about 10 cm of cement over it, disguising it as part of the house structure.
The two, who were in a romantic relationship, are believed to have lived together in the Geoje area since 2004.
Mr. A's crime was uncovered after 16 years when, around August this year, a worker called by the homeowner to repair a water leak discovered the hidden suitcase while breaking up a concrete structure on the veranda.
The police formed a dedicated investigation team and launched an inquiry, confirming that the deceased was Ms. B, who had lived at the address since 2006 and was reported missing in 2011.
An autopsy revealed that Ms. B died from head trauma caused by a blunt object.
Subsequently, on September 19, police arrested Mr. A at a residence in Yangsan.
Mr. A admitted to the crime during police questioning and was found to have lived in the house until 2016.
The prosecution noted that Mr. A had prior drug-related offenses and was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of his arrest. Taking these factors into account, and based on Mr. A's detailed statements about the time, place, and method of the crime, the prosecution indicted him in custody.
The charge of abandoning a corpse was dismissed as the statute of limitations expired in October 2015.
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