Jang Mi-ran, 37, was found dead on August 24, 104 days after she went missing in Jeju. Police have referred to her cause of death as 'hanging,' but Professor Lee Soo-jung from Kyonggi University’s Department of Criminal Psychology argues that the case should not be closed as a simple suicide.
On August 27, Lee stated on her social media that, "There is no such thing as accidentally taking one’s life. Suicide is a deliberate and planned act, and typical suicide victims have clear motives." She added that thoughts of suicide often follow a script, involving typical characteristics such as location, method, and tools.
Lee questioned whether a young woman in her twenties would choose a palm tree forest as a suicide location and shoelaces as a method, suggesting that such assumptions could be disrespectful to the deceased. She emphasized the need for a thorough investigation, urging authorities to assign a criminal case number to ensure a rigorous inquiry.
Jang was last seen leaving her long-term accommodation in Hallim-eup, Jeju, on May 12 at around 10:15 p.m. Her phone's last known location was near Hallim Port, approximately two and a half hours after she left, and there were no further usage records until her phone was turned off on May 16 at 9:44 a.m.
While Officer Boo Mo, 34, from the Jeju West Police Station prematurely closed the case, Jang's body was discovered in a palm tree forest in Hallim-eup at 10:46 a.m. on August 24. She was found in the same clothing as captured on CCTV, with her phone and electronic cigarette in her pockets. Her gold bracelet, ring, and slippers were also intact.
Police investigations revealed that a shoelace belonging to Jang was found protruding from the top of a palm tree. Based on the position of her body, the location, and preliminary autopsy findings, authorities currently assess the likelihood of foul play as low.
However, the National Forensic Service's autopsy report indicated no unusual fractures in the skull, neck, or torso, although a fracture was found in the hyoid bone. The forensic team noted that due to advanced decomposition and partial skeletalization, it is difficult to determine the cause of death, and the fracture may have occurred during the post-mortem decay process.
Jang's family has expressed doubts about the police's conclusion that there are no signs of homicide. They reported to SBS that police suggested Jang appeared to have hanged herself from a palm tree while sitting. They also noted that her body was found in a position that seemed inconsistent with that explanation, raising further questions.
While police maintain that the evidence suggests a low likelihood of foul play, they are not ruling out other possibilities. They plan to conduct further investigations, including phone forensics and DNA analysis, to clarify the circumstances surrounding her death.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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