In 'Brave Detectives 4', the criminals who staged a performance after murdering the victim were pursued and arrested until the end.
The episode aired on the 11th featured Jeong Myung-hoon, a police officer from the 4th Criminal Investigation Team of the Asan Police Station in Chungcheongnam-do, along with former Commissioner Yoon Wae-chul and Captain Kim Jin-soo from the Scientific Investigation Team (KCSI), who unfolded the investigation diary.
The first case began with a report from a younger brother who went to find his older brother, who had not been answering his phone. The victim, found next to the bathroom, was a mid-50s basic livelihood recipient who had lived relying on an electric wheelchair and a cane due to lower limb paralysis. Based on the bloodstains left in the living room and on the wall, it appeared that he was attacked in the living room and then fled towards the bathroom.
Bloodstains were also found on a wrench discovered on top of the shoe cabinet. An autopsy revealed nine blunt force trauma marks on the face and head, and the cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation due to neck compression, with the estimated time of death being about a month prior.
The investigation team focused on the victim's missing mobile phone and confirmed that he had sent a text message to a close acquaintance, Jang Min-soo (pseudonym), saying, "Someone is knocking on my door" and asking for money to be withdrawn. Jang Min-soo's age was revealed to be twenty, raising suspicions, and a review of the victim's financial transactions showed that 930,000 won and 200,000 won had been transferred to Jang Min-soo after the estimated time of death.
Analysis of the text messages suggested that Jang Min-soo pretended to be the victim and sent messages to himself and the victim's ex-wife. CCTV footage captured Jang Min-soo entering the victim's house on the presumed day of the crime and leaving two hours later with a bulging stomach, indicating he had hidden something.
Jang Min-soo claimed that the victim had borrowed money from him and that they had argued during the process. He stated that he met the victim while working part-time at a mobile phone store and became close, but he engaged in fraudulent activities such as purchasing gift certificates and making small payments using the victim's mobile phone. He also took the victim's tablet PC to receive authentication and transferred money to his own account.
He initially denied knowing the victim was dead, but eventually admitted, "I think I did kill him." During the trial, he submitted a video as evidence in which the victim seemed to say, "I received the money," provoking outrage. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
The second case introduced by KCSI began when a man rushed into a police box with a towel wrapped around his left hand, reporting that "robbers have kidnapped a young woman."
He was a mid-30s taxi driver who stated that while he was driving a female passenger in her 20s, two young men jumped into the car and threatened him and the passenger with a knife when the car stopped. He managed to escape but suffered severe injuries, including a torn finger ligament, and recounted the urgent situation in an interview.
The taxi driver claimed that there was a black sedan behind him, and it seemed that the car took the woman away. When the investigation team checked the inside of the taxi, a large amount of blood was found on the passenger seat where the woman had been sitting. Through the passenger's destination, it was confirmed that the victim was a 23-year-old woman working at a nearby parts factory.
The victim's mobile phone was found in a river not far from the kidnapping location, and shortly after, a body was discovered floating face down in the water. Her underwear was rolled up to her chest, and the autopsy revealed a shocking total of 16 stab wounds, including a fatal wound that penetrated her heart.
Detectives noted the absence of blood at the scene of the kidnapping and began to shift the direction of the investigation. If the woman had been transported by car, there should have been blood on the road, but none was found.
In contrast, there were traces around the river where the body was found, indicating that the body had been moved. Additionally, the victim's credit card, cash, and wallet were found inside the taxi. Mud was splattered all over the vehicle, and dirt was also found on the footrest.
Soil analysis revealed that the dirt on the taxi matched the soil at the site where the body was disposed of. All evidence pointed to the taxi driver as the perpetrator.
When he appeared again in front of the camera, he absurdly claimed that the victim ignored his advice to wear a seatbelt, but as a personal taxi driver, he was in debt of 150 million won due to gambling and other issues. He had threatened the victim to find out her credit card password and killed her after she attempted to escape, staging a performance afterward. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Meanwhile, 'Brave Detectives 4' airs every Friday at 9:50 PM.
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
