PC Destroyed and Phone Reset... Signs of Premeditated Crime in 'Sillim Station Stabbing Incident' Emerge One After Another

It has been revealed that a man in his 30s who carried out a stabbing rampage in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul recently destroyed his desktop PC and reset his mobile phone before the crime. The police are reportedly focusing on the possibility of a premeditated crime in their investigation.

Jo Mo, who indiscriminately wielded a weapon against pedestrians in a shopping alley near Sillim Station, is appearing at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 23rd for a pre-arrest detention hearing.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the police on the 25th, Jo (33, male), who is charged with murder, attempted murder, and theft, reset his iPhone XS around 5 p.m. on the 20th, one day before committing the crime. The first record of web browser access after the reset was around 5:58 p.m. Forensic analysis of the phone found no search history, call logs, messages, or photos related to the incident after the reset.

Before committing the crime, Jo also smashed one of his regularly used desktop PCs with a hammer. According to the police, a hammer presumed to have been used to destroy the desktop PC was found at Jo’s residence. The police are conducting digital forensic work on the PC.

The police believe Jo committed a planned crime. On the day of the crime, the 21st, at 12:03 p.m., Jo took a taxi from his residence in Incheon to his grandmother’s house in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul. Around 1:57 p.m. the same day, he stole two bladed weapons from a mart near his grandmother’s house and then took a taxi to Sillim-dong. Jo left one of the weapons in the taxi without paying the fare.

However, Jo’s statements have reportedly been inconsistent. Immediately after his arrest, Jo said, "I worked hard but it didn’t work out." During the investigation, he stated that he committed the crime out of anger because his grandmother nagged him, asking, "Why do you live like that?" Later, he reversed his statement, saying, "I usually visited my grandmother’s house three to four times a month. I went to see her one last time before committing the crime." Additionally, although he initially claimed to have taken the drug fentanyl right after his arrest, he denied taking it after a rapid drug test came back negative.

Jo is accused of carrying out the stabbing rampage in an alley in Sillim-dong around 2:07 p.m. on the 21st. One man in his 20s died and three men in their 30s were injured as a result of Jo’s actions. Jo and the victims were strangers to each other. Jo was immediately arrested at the scene and was detained on the 23rd.

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