Defendant in 'Bucheon Ringer Death Case' Convicted of 'Murder'... 30 Years Imprisonment in First Trial (Update)

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] In the so-called 'Bucheon IV Drip Death Case,' where the court battle was intense over whether it was a planned murder or an extreme choice (joint suicide), the first trial recognized the charge of murder against the defendant, the girlfriend.

The Criminal Division 1 of Bucheon Branch, Incheon District Court (Chief Judge Im Haeji) sentenced A (32, female), a former nursing assistant who was arrested and indicted on charges of causing the death of her boyfriend by overdosing him with drugs (murder), to 30 years in prison on the 24th.

The court stated, "The only evidence that the victim agreed to a joint suicide is the defendant's statement, which is not only scant but also highly unreliable," and added, "The defendant used her medical knowledge to administer the drugs she had stored to the victim and disguised it as a joint suicide by sucking the drugs herself."

A was tried on charges of causing the death of her boyfriend B (30 years old at the time of death) by administering anesthetics and other drugs through an IV drip at a motel in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, around 11:30 a.m. on October 21, 2018.

According to the autopsy results by the National Forensic Service, B was found to have been administered a lethal dose of propofol, an anesthetic, and diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory analgesic. The cause of death was cardiac arrest due to diclofenac.

At the time, A, who was with B at the motel, was also found to have taken drugs, but at levels below therapeutic doses according to test results.

The police judged that A administered a lethal dose of drugs to B and took drugs herself at below therapeutic levels, and applied charges including 'murder by deception with consent,' a charge used when one deceives the other into believing they will die together and obtains consent to kill. She was booked without detention and sent to the prosecution.

However, after supplementary investigation, the prosecution analyzed text messages exchanged between A and B before the incident and A's internet search history, finding no evidence that they attempted joint suicide simultaneously, and indicted A on murder charges.

At the sentencing hearing held on the 8th, the prosecution demanded life imprisonment for A, stating, "This case involves the defendant harboring resentment and killing the victim with drugs."

On the other hand, A has consistently denied the murder charges, saying, "I am sorry for not stopping my boyfriend more at that time. My family is suffering under the false accusation of murder after we attempted joint suicide, and I blame myself for surviving alone."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.