A body of a woman in her 60s was discovered in a freezer at a large cafe in Paju, South Korea, leading to the rapid dissemination of the suspect's identity.
On September 8, a lengthy post along with a photo of the suspect was shared on a social media account. The account operator stated, "Born in 1987, name OOO. On September 4, a body of a woman in her 60s was found in a freezer at a large cafe in Munseong-eup, Paju. The police have arrested the man who operated the cafe on suspicion of murder and are conducting an investigation."
The posted photo prominently featured the suspect's face, which drew attention due to its striking appearance. The account operator noted, "The more shocking aspect is the evidence of planned crime," revealing that the suspect allegedly stated during police questioning that he created the freezer to confine the victim if the forgery of gift certificates was discovered.
Additionally, the operator mentioned that the suspect instructed employees not to come to work the day before the incident and announced the cafe would be closed on the day of the crime, raising suspicions of premeditated murder.
Following this, the suspect's identity and related clues have been rapidly shared online, increasing public interest. However, there are concerns that the spread of unverified personal information or family details could lead to secondary victimization.
Earlier, on the morning of September 4, the Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul received a missing person report regarding a woman in her 60s, identified as A. The police tracked her movements based on her cellphone location and discovered her body in a freezer at a cafe in Munseong-eup, Paju, at approximately 2:36 PM the same day. They identified a man in his 30s, B, who was with A at the time of her disappearance, as a suspect and arrested him at 2:31 PM in Yeongdeungpo, just before the body was found. B has been detained on charges of murder.
According to police investigations, A and B first met on September 3 regarding a transaction involving department store gift certificates. CCTV footage reportedly shows the two entering the freezer together, with only B exiting afterward. Inside the freezer, police found suspected forged gift certificates worth hundreds of millions of won. Authorities are investigating the connection between the gift certificate transactions and the murder, as well as the possibility of co-conspirators. However, police noted that legal review is needed to confirm whether the gift certificates are indeed counterfeit.
Police are verifying the authenticity and source of the suspected forged gift certificates found in the freezer and are expanding their investigation to determine if there are additional co-conspirators or accomplices. They have also requested an autopsy from the National Forensic Service to ascertain the exact cause and time of A's death.
A police official urged the public to refrain from speculation regarding unconfirmed co-conspirators as the investigation continues.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.