Eunhae Lee and Hyunsu Jo aimed for a 'perfect crime'... Is there another accomplice? [Case Notebook]

Arrested in an officetel in Deogyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi after 17 days on the run
Suspected of killing husband at Yongsogyeok Valley, Gapyeong-gun
Fed husband food mixed with pufferfish poison in February and May
Also accused of attempting to kill husband by drowning him in fishing site water

Suspects Lee Eun-hae (31) and Jo Hyun-soo (30) in the "Valley Murder" case appeared for the first time in the media on the 16th after being detained at the Goyang Police Station in Gyeonggi Province. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "It could be seen as an organized crime," "There may have been assistance from accomplices."

Lee Eun-hae (31) and her accomplice Jo Hyun-soo (30), who were publicly wanted on charges of causing the death of her husband for insurance money, were caught on the 16th at an officetel in Deogyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi Province. It has been 17 days since the prosecution issued the public wanted notice. The joint investigation team of the prosecution and police arrested them around 12:25 PM at an officetel near Samsong Station in Deogyang-gu.

The investigative authorities plan to bring them in for questioning about the motive and details of the crime. During this process, additional accomplices or helpers who assisted them during their escape may be uncovered.

Experts such as criminal psychologists believe that accomplices may exist, and considering Lee Eun-hae’s criminal record from her teenage years, she may have learned criminal behavior. It is analyzed that this was a kind of systematic planned crime aiming for a virtually perfect crime, including a flawlessly prepared escape.

Suspects in the valley murder case, Eunhae Lee (left) and Hyunsoo Cho. Photo by Incheon District Prosecutors' Office

◆ Did Lee Eun-hae Aim for a 'Perfect Crime'? Experts' Analysis

According to media reports, Lee Eun-hae was arrested and prosecuted in May 2009 for special theft and theft when she was a teenager. From 2008 to early 2009, she lured men to motels under the pretext of so-called "arranged meetings" involving prostitution in Incheon, then stole items while the men were washing.

Most of the crimes were committed alone, but a few were committed with peers. The stolen goods amounted to approximately 4 million KRW.

Lee Eun-hae, who was detained at Incheon Detention Center for these crimes, submitted letters of remorse to the Incheon District Court three times before her first trial after being indicted. On May 16, 2009, she was transferred to the juvenile division and received juvenile protection measures from the Incheon District Juvenile Court in June of the same year.

Through this process, Lee Eun-hae may have learned criminal behavior and transformed into a so-called crime-friendly individual who commits organized crimes. Regarding this suspicion, Professor Lee Soo-jung, a criminal psychology professor at Kyonggi University, said, "That is possible."

She believes Lee Eun-hae’s past crimes influenced her current criminal methods. In an interview with CBS Radio on the 11th, Professor Lee said, "The harm inflicted on men has been continuous since she was 15, and the problem is that she was not alone. Therefore, the current arranged meetings are not done individually either. It seems that from the time she ran away from home and lived with others, she had a group of male and female friends, a so-called runaway family. After they became adults, they seem to have turned into professional insurance fraudsters, also fraudulently claiming travel insurance. The problem is that traces related to traffic accidents are also emerging now," she analyzed.

Suspects Lee Eun-hae (31, left) and Jo Hyun-soo (30) in the 'Valley Murder' case are being escorted to the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, on the afternoon of the 16th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ Is There a Third Person, Another Accomplice, or an Escape Helper?

There is also analysis that there may be a third person or helper who provided funds during the escape process. Professor Oh Yoon-sung of Soonchunhyang University’s Police Administration Department said, "First of all, the escape funds seem sufficient."

Earlier, Lee Eun-hae and Jo Hyun-soo filed complaints against about 100 netizens in April last year for defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act. Some of those who were scheduled for police investigation on charges of defamation and insult reportedly paid a settlement of 1.5 million KRW to Jo Hyun-soo’s side through the Criminal Mediation Committee. It is analyzed that the funds raised this way may have been used to rent the officetel where they were caught or as escape funds.

Regarding the existence of an escape helper, it was analyzed that "someone around Lee Eun-hae and Jo Hyun-soo may be helping them," and about Lee Eun-hae’s past criminal record, "This may not be her first escape," adding, "She appears to have a crime-friendly nature."

Po Chang-won, director of the Crime Science Research Institute, also appeared on KBS1's "The Live" on the 13th and said, "Since Lee Eun-hae has been involved in crime since her youth, she has experience living without using mobile phones or credit cards, and judging by the cash gathered before fleeing, she seems to have a certain amount of money. There is no doubt about the possibility of accomplices, but the possibility is sufficient," he explained.

Lee Eun-hae and Jo Hyun-soo are accused of attempting to kill her husband Yoon (39 at the time of death) around 8:24 PM on June 30, 2019, at Yongsogye Valley in Gapyeong. They are also accused of attempting to kill Yoon earlier that year in February and May by feeding him food mixed with pufferfish poison and by drowning him in a fishing spot. The prosecution believes they committed the crime aiming for the 800 million KRW life insurance money taken out in Yoon’s name. The prosecution and police plan to investigate all charges against them and then request arrest warrants.

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