Cause of Death for Yangju Family Found Dead on Christmas Eve Confirmed as 'Carbon Monoxide Poisoning'

Forensic Autopsy Results First Opinion
"No Suspicion of Homicide or Other Crimes"

The cause of death of a family of four found dead in Yangju-si, Gyeonggi Province, on December 24 last year, the day before Christmas, was confirmed to be carbon monoxide poisoning.

On the 5th, Yangju Police Station received the autopsy results of the four deceased family members from the National Forensic Service (NFS), according to a report by Yonhap News Agency on the same day. The NFS conveyed to the police that the primary cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning. Earlier, the police did not find any signs of criminal suspicion at the scene but requested an autopsy from the NFS to determine the exact cause of death.

At around 10:15 a.m. on December 24 last year, a couple in their 40s, Mr. A, their 11-year-old son, and 5-year-old daughter were found dead inside a vehicle parked in an open lot at Hoeamsa Temple site in Hoeam-dong, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi Province. At the time, the father, Mr. A, was in the driver's seat, the mother, Mrs. B, was in the back seat holding their daughter, and the son was sitting beside them.

Inside the vehicle, traces of burning combustible materials, medicine bottles, and a five-page suicide note stating, "Debt from financial investments kept increasing and became unbearable," were found. Their pinky fingers were tied together with thread, connecting them. Investigators judged this to have a spiritual meaning and concluded it was unrelated to the cause of death.

It was investigated that Mr. A had operated a fabric export business in Seoul but went bankrupt and moved from his original residence in Mapo-gu, Seoul, to a multi-family house in Yangju-si in November last year. Based on a report from a hiker that the vehicle had been parked since the 21st of December, the police estimated that about three days had passed since their deaths.

A police official stated, "The investigation found no signs of homicide or other criminal suspicion," and added, "If the final autopsy opinion from the NFS matches the primary opinion, we plan to close the case after review."

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