Police had dropped attempted rape charge against Jang Yoon-gi, citing lack of evidence
Prosecutors raided a police station in Gwangju on Tuesday over allegations that local police officers leaked investigative information and mishandled key evidence during the investigation into the murder of 17-year-old Lee Chae-won.
The Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office executed search warrants at Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station and the homes of key suspects on suspicion of leaking official secrets, destroying evidence and instructing others to destroy evidence.
The case centers on Jang Yoon-gi, who was indicted for killing Lee, a high school student he did not know, in Gwangju’s Gwangsan-gu on May 5. He was also charged with attempting to kill another high school student who tried to stop the attack.
Police are separately investigating alleged misconduct by the original investigation team. A special investigation team at Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station said Tuesday it had requested an arrest warrant for an inspector who led the murder investigation team, on suspicion of destroying evidence.
The inspector is accused of destroying a zip tie found in Jang’s vehicle shortly after the killing. Allegations of collusion between the investigation team and Jang’s father, also a police inspector in Gwangju, are also under investigation.
The special investigation team said it would conduct a broad investigation into those involved to determine the circumstances of the alleged destruction of evidence and other related suspicions.
Police officers on the original investigation team are suspected of informing Jang’s father of details of the investigation, including Jang’s arrest and plans to request an arrest warrant.
They are also accused of failing to seize key pieces of evidence, including Jang’s sex doll, car and a zip tie, and of returning the car to Jang’s father.
Jang’s father allegedly cut up the sex doll and discarded Jang’s old phone, along with three phones used by other family members. The zip tie, which could have been key evidence in determining whether the killing was connected to an attempted sexual assault, remains missing.
Amid growing controversy over the alleged interference, the related investigation is now being led by the National Office of Investigation under the National Police Agency.
Prosecutors have said Jang’s motive was to kidnap and sexually assault the high school student, and he had rehearsed the crime, rejecting his claim that the killing had no particular motive.
Police profilers in the initial stages of the investigation suggested pressing charges for rape leading to murder, but police decided to drop the attempted rape charge for lack of evidence, according to the prosecution.
Police profilers in the initial stages of the investigation suggested pressing charges for rape leading to murder, but police decided to drop the attempted rape charge for lack of evidence, according to the prosecution. Prosecutors ultimately indicted Jang for rape leading to murder on June 2.
A murder connected to rape is treated as a serious aggravating factor at trial.
The Sentencing Commission’s guidelines recommend 10 to 16 years in prison for ordinary murder without mitigating or aggravating factors, while the recommended sentence for murder committed in connection with rape is either life imprisonment or the death penalty.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
