Prosecution Seeks Death Penalty for Lee Gi-young in 'Live-in Partner and Taxi Driver Murder' Case

The prosecution has sought the death penalty for Lee Gi-young (32), who was arrested on charges of murdering his cohabiting partner and a taxi driver.

At the sentencing hearing held on the 12th at the Uijeongbu District Court Goyang Branch Criminal Division 1 (Presiding Judge Choi Jong-won), the prosecution requested that Lee be sentenced to death and also petitioned for an electronic monitoring order.

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During the trial, the prosecution explained the reasons for the sentence, stating, "Although Lee admits to the crimes, he lived a life of luxury using the victims' money, which is an unforgivable crime. The defendant meticulously planned the crimes and, even after the crimes, abandoned the victims' bodies and acted selfishly as if he were the victim."

They continued, "We still have not found one of the victims' bodies, and we cannot imagine the victims' resentment or the fear and pain felt by the families who suddenly lost their beloved husbands and fathers. The only way to somewhat relieve their grievances and pain is for the defendant to receive a severe punishment commensurate with his crimes," they emphasized.

In his final statement, Lee said, "There is no excuse for my crimes, and I apologize to the victims and their families. I ask the court to impose a heavy sentence to prevent social unrest. I will accept a severe punishment."

Lee's defense attorney stated, "The defendant is remorseful and is making efforts to compensate the victims' families," and requested the court to schedule the next trial date with some flexibility to achieve results.

Lee's sentencing date has been set for the 19th of next month.

Earlier, the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office Goyang Branch Special Investigation Team indicted Lee on January 19 on charges of robbery-murder and retaliatory murder under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.

Lee is accused of killing A (50), his cohabiting partner and landlord, on the afternoon of August 3 last year at his residence in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, by striking her head more than ten times with a blunt weapon to seize her mobile phone and credit cards. He is also accused of abandoning her body along the Gongneung Stream area in Paju the following day.

On December 20 last year, he is accused of killing taxi driver B (59) by striking his forehead twice with a blunt weapon after luring him home to cover up a drunk driving collision and then hiding the body in a wardrobe.

The prosecution added the charge of retaliatory murder, believing that beyond financial motives, Lee, a repeat offender for drunk driving, intended to prevent police reporting, which would likely result in a prison sentence.

In addition to the two murder cases, Lee Gi-young also fraudulently obtained 10 million won in COVID-19 small business support funds by creating a fake business.

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