Police: "Perpetrator Who Killed Woman Under Protection and Her Family Did Not Meet Criteria for On-the-Spot Arrest or Emergency Detention at First Report"

Imo (26), who is accused of murdering the family of a woman under personal protection, is heading to the courtroom to attend the warrant hearing held at the Seoul Eastern District Court in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 12th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The police explained that they did not detain Lee (26), who killed the family of a woman under personal protection in Songpa-gu, Seoul, at the time of the first report because "the conditions for arresting a suspect in flagrante delicto or emergency arrest were not met."

A police official said to reporters on the 13th, "The suspect voluntarily accompanied us and voluntarily submitted his mobile phone," adding, "We also secured his residence and phone number, and judged that there was no risk of evidence destruction or escape."

According to the police, the victim’s father first reported on the 6th that his daughter seemed to be confined. The daughter’s location was initially identified as Cheonan, Chungnam, but she was not there. After discovering that Lee and the daughter had moved to Daegu, the police took statements from both and then allowed them to return home.

Subsequently, as the victim applied for personal protection, the Cheonan Seobuk Police Station decided on personal protection measures at 3 p.m. on the 7th. They conducted pre-investigation procedures, including digital forensics on the mobile phone voluntarily submitted by Lee. However, four days after the first report, Lee went to the victim’s family residence, wielded a weapon, killed the victim’s mother, and seriously injured her younger brother.

A police official emphasized, "Looking back at the pieces of the puzzle, such a situation occurred, but at the time, based on what was assessed and understood in Daegu, the conditions for emergency arrest or arrest in flagrante delicto were not met."

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