'Ex-Partner's Family Murder Under Personal Protection' 20s Attend Warrant Hearing... "Silent"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] A man in his 20s who visited the home of a woman he had previously dated and killed her family is now at a crossroads regarding detention.

The Seoul Eastern District Court held a pre-arrest detention hearing (warrant review) at 3 p.m. on the 12th for Lee (26), who is accused of murder and attempted murder, to examine the necessity of detention.

Before attending the hearing, Lee arrived at the court and did not respond to reporters' questions such as "Do you have anything to say to the victim?" and "How did you know and find the victim's house?" He entered the building immediately. The decision on detention is expected as early as this afternoon.

Lee is accused of visiting a villa in Jamsil-dong, Songpa-gu, where A (21) lived, the previous afternoon and stabbing A's mother (49) and younger brother (13) in the chest and neck with a weapon.

At the time, A's father, who was out, called the police at around 2:26 p.m., saying, "I was talking on the phone with my wife, and it seems someone entered the house." The police arrived at the scene five minutes later, at 2:31 p.m. Inside the house, A's mother and younger brother were found collapsed and bleeding. They were immediately taken to the hospital, but the mother eventually passed away. The police also conducted an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. The younger brother is still receiving treatment in the intensive care unit due to severe bleeding.

After the police arrived, Lee jumped out of a fourth-floor window. He then discarded the weapon on the street, broke into the second floor of a neighboring vacant house, hid in the master bedroom wardrobe, and was arrested on the spot at around 2:51 p.m., 20 minutes after the police arrived. It is reported that he did not resist arrest.

Lee had been under police investigation even before this crime. On the 6th, when A's father could not contact A, he first reported to Gangnam Police Station, saying, "I think my daughter is being held captive." The police conducted location tracking and witness interviews to find A, cooperating with the Seobuk Police Station in Cheonan, Chungnam, and the Suseong Police Station in Daegu, and found A and Lee in Daegu. Subsequently, the Seobuk Police Station in Cheonan began investigating Lee. After returning to Seoul, A became a protected person and was issued a smartwatch. However, four days after this, Lee came up to Seoul and committed this crime. Although A was a protected person, it appears that no separate protective measures were taken for the family.

So far, there is no record of Lee having reported stalking to the police before this incident. The police believe Lee acted alone without accomplices. It is understood that Lee prepared the weapon in advance and observed the residents entering and exiting A's residence to learn the password to the shared entrance door. He also wandered around the area before entering the crime scene. The investigation is ongoing regarding how he found out the residence and the circumstances of his break-in.

In police questioning, Lee stated that he did not initially target A's family. However, the police are also considering the possibility that Lee committed the crime out of resentment and revenge because A and her family reported him. Additionally, the police plan to conduct digital forensic work on Lee's mobile phone and investigate his movements from Daegu to Seoul to confirm any stalking evidence.

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