A 60-year-old woman was found dead in a freezer at a large cafe in Paju, South Korea, and a video of the suspect's past television appearance is circulating online.
On September 10, various online communities and social media platforms shared an interview clip of the cafe owner, identified as the suspect in the murder case. The footage, aired on KBS1 News, features the cafe owner discussing safety measures, stating, "If an accident occurs, it could be bad for everyone, so we manage things to be careful with each other."
Additionally, posts containing the suspect's name, birth year, and other personal information have spread online, suggesting that the suspect may have planned the crime in advance. The account operator highlighted that the suspect instructed employees not to come to work the day before the incident and announced the cafe would be closed on the day of the murder, raising suspicions of a premeditated crime.
The case came to light after a missing person report was filed for the woman on September 4. Police tracked her cell phone location and discovered her body in a freezer next to the cafe in Munsan-eup that afternoon. They identified the cafe owner, a man in his 30s, as a suspect after analyzing CCTV footage, which showed him entering the cafe with the victim but leaving alone. He was apprehended shortly before the body was found in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul, and was arrested on September 6 on charges of murder.
Investigations revealed that the victim and the suspect first met on September 3 during a transaction involving department store gift certificates. The victim was reportedly asked to verify the authenticity of the gift certificates and visited the cafe for this purpose.
CCTV footage reportedly shows the two entering the freezer together, with only the suspect emerging afterward. Inside the freezer, police discovered approximately 500 billion won worth of "promotional" gift certificates. Authorities believe the suspect directly commissioned a printing company to produce these certificates, leading to additional charges of forgery. The certificates were found in ten boxes, each containing 500,000 won, and police are investigating the production and distribution process to determine if they are indeed counterfeit.
The suspect has reportedly changed his account of the motive and circumstances of the crime multiple times. Initially, he mentioned issues related to penalties from the gift certificate transaction but later claimed that the victim discovered the certificates were fake, prompting the crime. Police are comparing his statements with evidence obtained from cell phone forensics to clarify the circumstances surrounding the crime.
Furthermore, it has been determined that the suspect installed the freezer near the cafe at the end of last month. On the day of the crime, he instructed employees not to come to work and closed the cafe, which police are investigating for potential links to the crime's preparation.
Meanwhile, the National Forensic Service's autopsy results indicated that the victim showed no clear signs of external trauma. Due to the body being frozen, determining the exact time of death is challenging, and police are considering the possibility that the victim died from hypothermia and lack of oxygen after being confined in the freezer.
Authorities are also investigating the potential for additional crimes by the suspect and any accomplices, as well as the processes involved in the production and transaction of the gift certificates. Police have urged the public to refrain from speculation regarding any unidentified accomplices during the investigation.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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