A woman in a common-law relationship with a man arrested for the murder of a 15-year-old girl in Seoul's Seongbuk District has emerged as a key figure in the investigation. It has been revealed that she booked the accommodation where the crime took place. Police are also considering the possibility that the suspect killed the girl to cover up the woman's criminal activities.
According to Yonhap News, the Seongbuk Police Department applied for an arrest warrant for the 59-year-old suspect, identified as A, on murder charges on the morning of November 12. The accommodation where the crime occurred was confirmed to have been booked for one night by B, a woman in her 20s who is in a common-law relationship with A.
B had previously been the subject of an arrest warrant application by the Nowon Police Station on charges of instigating theft. The Nowon Police have been investigating B, along with the deceased girl, identified as C, and A's son, D, for theft, possession of stolen goods, and fraud.
The family of the deceased has alleged that B 'gaslighted' C, instructing her to engage in various delinquent behaviors and crimes. Police are exploring the possibility that A killed C to conceal B's criminal activities.
The scope of the investigation is widening. Authorities are looking into whether A, his son D, B, and C were involved in a scheme to extort money under the guise of 'conditional meetings.'
C was identified as a victim in a statutory rape case involving D earlier this year. C's parents had filed a complaint against D, and the prosecution was investigating the matter. Separately, D had been convicted of stealing money from individuals seeking conditional meetings through a chat application. He was sentenced to six months in prison with a two-year probation on theft charges on October 15 and is reportedly in custody for another theft case.
Police investigations revealed that A had prepared for the crime in advance. On November 10, he purchased a weapon and a lighter at two household goods stores in Incheon. He arrived at the accommodation at 5:17 PM that same day and met B, who had arrived earlier, before entering together. Authorities are investigating the circumstances of their meeting.
About three hours after entering the accommodation, at approximately 8:30 PM, A left alone and was seen wandering nearby, discarding a weapon and a damaged mobile phone. Police are verifying whether the phone belonged to B. A was subsequently arrested in a drunken state inside the accommodation after police responded to an emergency call on November 11.
Since his arrest, A has reportedly refused to provide statements during initial questioning. Police plan to deploy profilers and analyze CCTV footage to confirm the timeline of events surrounding the crime. An autopsy on C is scheduled for today.
C was of middle school age but was not attending school. It is reported that she had been living in various youth shelters, including those outside of Seoul, since earlier this year.
Police stated, 'As of now, the exact motive for the murder has not been confirmed,' adding that they are focusing on clarifying the motive and circumstances surrounding the crime.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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