“Because he didn’t repay the money I lent him” ... Man in his 50s accused of killing couple in their 60s in Naju flees after withdrawing 6 million won

[Financial News] A man in his 50s who brutally killed a couple in their 60s whom he had known for some time in Naju, South Jeolla Province, and fled after withdrawing cash has been arrested by police. The man claims that “it was an impulsive act after I went to collect money I had lent him,” but police are focusing their investigation on robbery-murder motivated by money.
The Naju Police Station in South Jeolla Province said on the 7th that it had urgently arrested a man in his 50s, identified as A, on suspicion of murder at the entrance to an apartment complex in Muan County, South Jeolla Province, and was investigating him.
A is suspected of breaking into a detached house in Wanggok-myeon, Naju, between 9:28 p.m. and 11:57 p.m. on the 5th and killing a couple in their 60s. The couple were found dead, one in the master bedroom and the other in the living room, on the evening of the following day, the 6th, by police responding to reports from family members and neighbors who could not reach them. When found, the couple’s hands and feet were bound with blue tape and clothing, among other things, and the house was severely ransacked.
In questioning, A said he had lent the husband money in cash, but went to collect it because it had not been repaid. He said, “I knocked on the door, but the inner door was locked, so I entered the house through an open window,” and claimed, “I had no intention of killing them from the outset; it was an impulsive crime.” Investigators also found that the weapon used in the crime had been inside the victims’ home.
Contrary to A’s claim that it was an “impulsive crime,” his movements before and after the crime were carefully planned. A rode a bicycle to the couple’s home before the crime, then stole their cash cards immediately after killing them and withdrew 6 million won from an automated teller machine (ATM).
During his subsequent escape, he changed his means of transport several times to avoid being tracked. A loaded the bicycle he had ridden onto a 1-ton truck owned by the victims and left the scene. He then abandoned the truck nearby and switched to his own car, which he had parked there in advance, demonstrating careful planning.
By analyzing nearby closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage and other evidence, police identified A and his escape route and arrested him at around 2:37 p.m. on the 7th.
Police are continuing their investigation while leaving open the possibility that an actual debt existed, as A’s statements are detailed and consistent. However, taking into account his statement that he committed the crime to collect the money and the fact that he stole a card and withdrew cash immediately after the killings, police plan to change the existing murder charge to robbery-murder. Under criminal law, robbery-murder is a serious offense punishable by life imprisonment or death. Police plan to further investigate the exact amount of the debt and the circumstances of the crime before applying for an arrest warrant on the 8th.
[email protected] Ji-hyun Park Reporter