'Stepmother's Secret Burial Case in 40s' Sentenced to 35 Years, Prosecutors Appeal

Sister Killed After Dispute Over Disabled Pension Account
Buried in Reed Field in Yecheon, Gyeongbuk, Then 1.65 Million Won Withdrawn

A man in his 40s who killed his stepmother to seize her property and then secretly buried her was sentenced to 35 years in prison, but the prosecution appealed the decision.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 29th, the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office Trial Division (Chief Prosecutor Lee Jae-yeon) announced that it had appealed to seek a harsher sentence for Bae (49), who was tried on charges including robbery and murder.

Earlier, on the 23rd, the Seoul Southern District Court Criminal Division 15 sentenced Bae to 35 years in prison and ordered him to wear an electronic tracking device (electronic anklet) for 20 years. The court stated, "Human life is invaluable and cannot be compared to anything else, and any case that uses life as a means for economic gain cannot be tolerated," but also considered "that the crime does not appear to have been committed with premeditation, the financial gain from the crime was not significant, and that he has shown remorse, albeit belatedly."

On October 19 of last year, Bae killed his stepmother Lee (75) at her home in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, after a dispute when he tried to take his biological sister's disability pension bankbook. He then secretly buried her body near a reed field by a river in Yecheon, Gyeongbuk,

and withdrew and used 1.65 million won from the pension.

A prosecution official stated, "The defendant committed a serious crime by taking his stepmother's life for money and hiding the body, and considering that he was not forgiven by the bereaved family, we appealed to ensure that a sentence commensurate with the crime is imposed."

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