The appellate court sentencing for the so-called 'Drum Murder Case in Pattaya, Thailand' is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on the 16th.
On July 2, during the second trial held at the Changwon branch of the Busan High Court Criminal Division 1 (Judges Min Dalgi, Park Jiyeon, and Park Geonhee), the prosecution requested the court to impose heavy sentences on the three defendants.
The prosecution sought the death penalty, the maximum sentence allowed by law, for 28-year-old Defendant A and 40-year-old Defendant B, who were indicted on charges including robbery-murder and concealment of a corpse. For 27-year-old Defendant C, the prosecution requested life imprisonment.
Previously, in the first trial, Defendant A was sentenced to life imprisonment, Defendant B to 30 years in prison, and Defendant C to 25 years in prison. Both the defendants and the prosecution appealed, citing the unfairness of the sentences.
Suspects of the 'Drum Murder Case in Pattaya, Thailand' being taken for the detention warrant hearing. Photo by Se Ryeong Lee
According to the court, on or around May 3, the three defendants, including Defendant A, were indicted and detained on charges of kidnapping and murdering a man in his 30s from Gimhae, Gyeongnam, who was traveling in Pattaya, Thailand, and then mutilating and abandoning the body in a reservoir.
While making a living through voice phishing scams, the group conspired to kidnap a Korean tourist and steal money when their criminal profits began to dwindle.
On the day of the crime, they met the victim at a club in Bangkok, Thailand, made him drink alcohol laced with drugs, and, after he became intoxicated, put him in a prepared vehicle under the pretense of taking him back to his accommodation, then drove him to a lodging facility arranged as the crime scene.
During the drive, when the victim resisted, saying the direction was wrong, they strangled him, attempted to bind him, and violently assaulted his face and upper body, ultimately causing his death.
Afterward, the group mutilated parts of the victim's body, placed the remains in a prepared rubber drum with cement, let it harden, and then disposed of it in Maprachan Reservoir in Pattaya to conceal the crime.
They also used the victim's mobile phone to transfer 3.7 million KRW from the victim's account to their own accounts, and called the victim's family pretending he was alive, demanding a ransom of about 100 million KRW, though this attempt was unsuccessful.
Local Thai police are examining a corpse inside a drum barrel retrieved from Maprachan Lake in Pattaya. Thai local media Khaosod
After fleeing immediately following the crime, the perpetrators were sequentially apprehended in Korea, Cambodia, and Vietnam, and were brought to trial in detention.
The victim's father, who was battling cancer at the time, reportedly stopped eating and drinking after hearing the news about his son and passed away on November 14 of the previous year. Other family members, including the victim's mother and sister, are also said to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
The prosecution stated, "Although the defendants partially confessed, they only admitted to the facts they could not avoid, shifted responsibility for disputed matters to accomplices, and tried to avoid acknowledging unfavorable facts. This case has become a significant social issue, and there is a need to sound a warning through severe punishment," explaining the reasons for their sentencing request.
During their final statements, the defendants expressed remorse for their actions, but also claimed that other accomplices led the crime or denied parts of the charges.
The victim's family stated, "Stop lying about being remorseful, and atone for your crimes in prison for the rest of your lives."
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