Serial murders Yoo Young-chul

1 serial murders

1.1 arrest murder
1.2 motives
1.3 trial , penalty

serial murders

from september november 2003, yoo killed several wealthy senior citizens, breaking houses , bludgeoning them hammer. in each case, yoo left appearance of robbery-homicide, although no money taken, confused police investigators. when investigation started intensify, yoo switched targeting female masseuses. yoo briefly arrested in january 2004 on minor theft charge, released 2 days later.

starting in march 2004, yoo called prostitutes residence in western seoul , bludgeoned them after having sex them. prostitute victims dismembered , mutilated hinder identification. buried in mountains surrounding city. police recovered 11 bodies mountain behind bongwon temple after yoo s arrest.

during initial interrogations, yoo confessed killing 19 people. on july 18, 2004, admitted additional murder: killing 45-year-old male street vendor. yoo confessed killing 26 individuals on july 19, 2004, several days after arrest, although no details given. list of purported victims included several individuals did not match prior pattern of wealthy seniors or masseuses. friends of 2 of masseuse victims, bodies had been recovered, claimed not involved in massage therapy, meaning yoo have other, unreported victims. although rainy thursday murderer active contemporaneously starting in april 2004, stabbing multiple women late @ night in southwest seoul, police unable link yoo murders.

several days later, yoo confessed killing young woman (a worker in clothing store) on 6 february 2004 in imun-dong after suspected of being prostitute. yoo had approached questioning pretending police officer. approximately month after arrest, yoo confessed eating flesh of victims, although no evidence prove available.

arrest murder

yoo taken custody on 15 july 2004 , confessed murdering many 19 people, initially, targeting affluent senior citizens , masseuses. yoo had raised suspicions calling massage parlor several employees had gone missing after receiving similar phone calls, owner of massage parlor, accompanied several employees , single police officer, went agreed-upon meeting place. police officer left before yoo arrived, , yoo apprehended employees of massage parlor. police officer placed handcuffs on yoo after detained massage parlor employees.

while in custody, yoo feigned epileptic symptoms , escaped police after restraints loosened. however, re-arrested twelve hours later. yoo had attempted escape after being arrested in 2002 rape faking epileptic seizure.

the mother of imun-dong murder victim rushed @ yoo umbrella when brought prosecutor s office later in july, screaming daughter still alive if police had captured him earlier. policeman kicked mother in chest subdue her, claiming hands occupied in holding yoo.

motives

based on content of apartment, searched after arrest, there speculation patterned killings after several movies, including public enemy, bad things, , normal life. yoo later confessed being inspired serial killer jeong du-yeong (ko), had murdered 9 wealthy people in busan 1999–2000.

yoo stated resentment of rich stemmed childhood, when felt envy of large house due childhood poverty. yoo s resentment of women stemmed lover, worked masseuse, leaving him after learning of criminal past.

trial , penalty

police admitted had little physical evidence linking yoo murders. yoo first appeared in court on 6 september 2004, refusing defend himself, declaring intention boycott remainder of trial, , apologizing victims. yoo boasted had no intention of stopping. when forced return 2 weeks later, lunged @ 3 presiding judges , recanted confession february 2004 imun-dong murder. refused appear @ next court session on 4 october 2004, after attempting suicide night before. yoo again disrupted hearing 3 weeks later when tried attack spectator had cursed him, ended yoo signing statement not cause further commotion.

prosecutors requested death penalty, yoo thanked them for, , yoo sentenced death on 13 december 2004 20 counts of murder (the count of murder woman in imun-dong in february 2004 thrown out). prosecutors appealed verdict secure 21st count of murder, lower court s sentence upheld on 8 june 2005 supreme court.

his case, appalled south koreans, has fueled debate on capital punishment in south korea. although death penalty still permissible under law, has not been carried out since 1997. appeared capital punishment might abolished prior yoo s arrest, support death penalty has grown since learning of crimes.

the seoul central district court said: murders of many 20 people unprecedented in nation , serious crime. death penalty inevitable in light of enormous pains inflicted on families concerned , entire society.