Stepson in 40s Arrested and Sentenced for Killing Stepmother over Money Issues and Secret Burial

A stepson in his 40s who killed and abandoned his stepmother over money issues has been handed over to the prosecution while in custody.

Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station
[Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 23rd, the Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul announced that they had sent Mr. Bae, in his 40s, who is accused of murder and corpse abandonment, to the prosecution under custody.

Bae is accused of strangling his stepmother, Ms. Lee, in her 70s, at her home in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 19th of last month after a dispute over money, and then secretly burying her body near a reed field by a river in Yecheon, Gyeongbuk. Yecheon, Gyeongbuk is the hometown of Ms. Lee’s ex-husband and Bae’s biological father.

During the police investigation, Bae reportedly stated, "My stepmother met another man and spent money recklessly, and when I asked for the bankbook to manage the money, we got into an argument."

The court issued an arrest warrant for Bae on the 19th, citing "concerns that he might flee." Before attending the suspect interrogation (warrant hearing) prior to his detention, when asked "Do you admit to the charges?" he answered "Yes." When asked "Was it a premeditated crime?" he replied, "I suddenly got angry."

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