"Emotions Are Complex" Shinrim-dong Stabbing Incident: 30s Suspect Refuses Investigation... Identity Disclosure Decision Today

Suspect Jo Mo Delays Investigation Claiming to Write Confession
If Identity Disclosure is Decided... Seventh Case This Year

Jo Mo (33), the suspect in the stabbing rampage incident that occurred in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, is reportedly refusing police investigation, saying "my emotions are complicated." The police are concentrating their investigative efforts, believing that Jo planned the crime, including attempting to destroy evidence. The decision on whether to disclose Jo's identity is scheduled for the afternoon of the 26th.

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 (warrant review). [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the police, Jo, who is charged with murder, attempted murder, and theft, refused to undergo a psychopathy diagnostic test (PCL-R) the previous day. On the 25th at around 1:30 PM, the police attempted to conduct the test by deploying a profiler, but Jo postponed the test, stating he wanted to write a self-statement to organize his emotions. Afterwards, Jo refused the test and returned to the detention center with the self-statement. The self-statement was entrusted to the detention center's storage, which is not subject to seizure, so its contents remain unknown.

There are also indications that Jo attempted to destroy evidence and committed the crime in a planned manner. It was confirmed that Jo reset his iPhone XS at around 5 PM on the 20th, the day before the crime. The first time he accessed a web browser after the reset was at 5:58 PM. After resetting the phone, Jo left no search history, call logs, messages, or photos related to the incident. Additionally, he smashed one desktop PC he usually used with a hammer. The police found a hammer, presumed to have been used to destroy the PC, at Jo's residence and have begun digital forensic work on the PC.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency plans to hold a personal information disclosure review committee meeting this afternoon to decide whether to disclose Jo's identity. According to the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Specific Violent Crimes, the identity of a suspect can be disclosed when the crime method is brutal and causes serious damage, there is sufficient evidence that the suspect committed the crime, and when disclosure aligns with public interest such as the right to know, prevention of recidivism, and crime prevention. If Jo's identity is disclosed, he will be the seventh person this year following Lee Kyung-woo (36), Hwang Dae-han (36), Yeon Ji-ho (30), Yoo Sang-won (51), and Hwang Eun-hee (49) from the Gangnam kidnapping and murder case, and Jung Yoo-jung (23) from the Busan private tutor murder case.

Jo is accused of carrying out a stabbing rampage in an alley in Sillim-dong at 2:07 PM on the 21st, killing one man in his 20s and injuring three men in their 30s. Jo was immediately arrested at the scene and was detained on the 23rd.

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