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Man accused of mother-in-law murder also allegedly killed sister at age four
🇰🇷 South Korea /Crime & Justice

Man accused of mother-in-law murder also allegedly killed sister at age four

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified In the courts
  • A man accused of killing his mother-in-law is also alleged to have killed his 2-year-old sister when he was four.
  • Prosecutors presented evidence of the past incident during a trial for the current murder charges.
  • The defense denies the current charges, including allegations of assault and confinement.

Prosecutors allege that a man currently on trial for murdering his mother-in-law, and disposing of her body in a suitcase, also killed his 2-year-old sister when he was just four years old. The Daegu District Court heard this claim during a trial for the suspect, identified as Jo Jae-bok, 26.

Are you saying I killed my sister now?

— Jo Jae-bokThe suspect's reaction when prosecutors alleged he killed his younger sister as a child.

During the hearing, prosecutors presented evidence, including a conversation with Jo's biological father, to support the claim of the earlier death. They stated that Jo has a history of violent tendencies and multiple prior offenses. The defense vehemently denied the accusation regarding the sister's death, with Jo himself reportedly exclaiming, "Are you saying I killed my sister now?" The court instructed the defense to submit any counterarguments in writing.

Prosecutors also presented a broken vacuum cleaner handle found at the scene where the mother-in-law died, suggesting it was used as a weapon during the assault. Jo's defense countered this, claiming the handle broke while he was disciplining his dog. Jo is accused of beating his 54-year-old mother-in-law for an extended period in an apartment in Jung-gu, Daegu, before placing her body in a suitcase and dumping it near the Shincheon River in Buk-gu.

The handle broke while disciplining the dog that was biting severely.

— Jo Jae-bokThe suspect's explanation for the broken vacuum cleaner handle found at the crime scene.

He also faces charges of assault and confinement against his wife and mother-in-law, including allegations of surveillance and economic control. Jo's wife testified previously, stating that her mother repeatedly told Jo to stop the assault, fearing for her life, but he refused. She also testified that Jo prevented her from reporting the incident and initiated a pattern of abuse, confinement, and financial control after their marriage, monitoring them with home cameras and isolating them from family.

My mother was going to die, so I told him to stop, but he didn't stop the assault.

— Jo's wifeThe victim's daughter testified about her mother's pleas and Jo's continued violence.

Jo's lawyer, however, argued against the confinement charges, pointing to instances where Jo and his wife went out together, suggesting the situation did not constitute unlawful confinement. The defense denies most of the charges. The court has scheduled the final hearing for September 17.

Did you not go out together and watch movies?

— Jo's lawyerThe defense attorney questioned the claim of confinement by citing instances of the couple's outings.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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