Murder and Secret Burial of Runaway Teenager... 'Osan Baekgol Case' Main Perpetrator Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The main perpetrator of the 'Osan Skeletal Remains' case, in which a runaway youth was murdered and secretly buried, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.

On the 2nd, the Supreme Court's 3rd Division (Presiding Justice Lee Dongwon) announced that it upheld the original sentences of 30 years and 25 years imprisonment for the main defendant Kim Mo (23) and accomplice Byeon Mo (23), respectively, in the appeal trial on charges including violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.

They collectively assaulted A (then 17), who had been living with them near a factory in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, on September 8, 2018, causing his death. They were tried for secretly burying the body in a mountain forest afterward.

Kim lured runaway youths by offering food and lodging in exchange for committing illegal acts, forming a so-called 'runaway fam'. During this process, it was confirmed that they subjected the youths to harsh treatment and threatened and monitored them to prevent escape.

However, when A revealed statements related to them during a police investigation for past charges of luring minors, they planned to kill him. Nine months after the incident, A's body was discovered by the owner of a mountain cemetery, bringing their crime to light as the 'Osan Skeletal Remains case'. At that time, both Kim and Byeon were incarcerated in a detention center and prison for other crimes.

The first trial court sentenced them to 30 years and 25 years imprisonment respectively. The court stated, "They planned the murder in advance by preparing tools, took photos of the corpse after the crime, and boasted about it to people around them," emphasizing that severe punishment was inevitable.

They both appealed, claiming the sentences were too harsh, while the prosecution appealed, arguing they were too light, but the second trial court dismissed all appeals. Both the defendants and the prosecution filed appeals to the Supreme Court, but the court dismissed all of them.

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