'Valley Murder' Lee Eunhae Sentenced to Life Imprisonment... Court Recognizes Indirect Murder (Summary 2)

Defendants Lee Eun-hae and Jo Hyun-soo in the 'Valley Murder' case [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Lee Eunhae (31, female), who was indicted for the 'valley murder' case, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the court after being found guilty of 'indirect murder.'

The 15th Criminal Division of the Incheon District Court (Chief Judge Lee Gyuhun) sentenced Lee to life imprisonment and her accomplice Jo Hyunsoo (30, male) to 30 years in prison on the 27th during the first trial sentencing for charges including murder and attempted murder.

The court also ordered both to wear electronic location tracking devices (electronic anklets) for 20 years after completing their sentences.

The court judged that this case was not a 'commission murder' caused by gaslighting (psychological control), but rather an 'omission murder' where the victim, who drowned after diving, was deliberately not rescued.

In law, directly performing a prohibited act is considered commission, while failing to perform a required act is considered omission. Generally, sentences for murder by commission are much harsher than those for murder by omission.

The court stated, "Since 2011, Lee had been in a relationship with the victim A and economically exploited him. When financial ruin occurred and his utility value decreased, she planned the crime to receive insurance money worth about 800 million won."

It added, "The defendants attempted to kill the victim twice and failed, but did not give up and ultimately succeeded. Considering the motive and method of the crime, the nature of the offense is extremely bad."

However, the court acquitted Lee of the direct murder charge, as claimed by the prosecution, that she gaslighted the victim into jumping into the valley herself, resulting in death.

The court found it difficult to view A as lacking free will since he sometimes refused Lee's demands or instructions during his lifetime. Rather, it was deemed reasonable to see the crime as committed against a victim struggling with the fear of losing the relationship due to inability to provide financial support to Lee.

The court applied the charge of indirect murder, stating that Lee and others planned to receive insurance money, attempted to kill A, and ultimately caused his death by making him jump into the water without protective gear and failing to take rescue measures. However, considering the planned nature of the crime, the court sentenced them to severe punishment equivalent to murder by commission.

Earlier, during the prosecution's closing arguments on the 30th of last month, they demanded life imprisonment for Lee and others, arguing, "Lee gaslighted her husband A (39 at the time of death), and since A, who could not swim, jumped into the valley water and died, it constitutes direct murder."

Lee was arrested and indicted on charges of killing her husband A by making him jump from a 4-meter-high rock into a 3-meter-deep valley pool without rescue equipment at Yongsogye Valley, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, on June 30, 2019, along with her lover Jo.

They are also accused of attempting to kill A earlier in February and May 2019 by feeding him food mixed with pufferfish poison and by drowning him in a fishing pond.

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