몰락한 '농구천재' 정상헌, 결국 살인까지...

Published : Jul 3, 2013 - 18:07 Updated : Jul 3, 2013 - 18:30

정상헌 (사진:오센)

전직 프로농구 선수 정상헌 (31)이 아내의 쌍둥이 언니를 살해하고 시신을 유기한 혐의로 긴급체포되었다.

경기 화성동부경찰서는 3일 살인 및 사체유기 혐의로 정 씨를 체포해 조사했다.

정씨는 지난달 26일, 처가에서 아내 (32)의 쌍둥이 언니와 말다툼을 벌이다 목졸라 살해한 혐의를 받고 있으며, 또한 시신을 인근 야산에 암매장한 혐의도 받고 있다.

정씨는 범행 다음날인 27일, 숨진 처형의 휴대전화를 이용해 아내에게 처형이 여행을 갔으며 지난달 30일에 돌아올 것이라는 것을 암시하는 메시지를 보냈다.

그러나 약속날이 되도 연락이 없자 정씨의 부인은 지난 1일, 정씨와 함께 경찰에 언니를 실종 신고했다.

수사에 나선 경찰은 정씨가 최씨의 벤츠 승용차를 중고차 매매업체에 1천200만원에 판매한 사실을 확인하고 경찰 출석을 요구한 뒤 추궁한 끝에 정씨로부터 범행 일체를 자백 받았다.

경찰에서 정씨는 최씨가 자신을 무시한다는 이유로 범행을 저질렀다고 진술했다.

한때 방성윤과 더불어 초대형 유망주로 각광받았던 정씨는 고려대학교 진학 후 적응에 실패, 중퇴 이후 KBL 신인 드래프트에 나왔다.

당시 정씨는 대구 오리온스에 전체 8순위로 지명되었으나 시즌이 시작되기도 전에 팀을 이탈해 임의탈퇴 선수로 공시되었다. 이후 울산 모비스에 합류했으나 역시 적응하지 못하며 결국 짧은 선수생활을 마감했다. (코리아헤럴드)

<관련 영문 기사>

Ex-basketball player arrested for murder of sister-in-law

A former basketball player, identified only by his surname Jeong, was nabbed by police Wednesday on suspicion of murdering his sister-in-law and abandoning her body.

Hwaseong Dongbu Police Station arrested without a warrant a 31-year-old suspect for allegedly murdering the twin sister of his 32-year-old wife last Wednesday at the home of his wife’s parents.

According to police, Jeong got into a heated argument with the victim before strangling her to death. Jeong then took the victim’s body to a nearby mountain where he buried her.

The suspect attempted to conceal his crime by using the victim’s cell phone to send his wife a text message, which implied the victim went on a trip and will return Sunday.

When the victim failed to show up on Sunday, however, Jeong’s wife went to the police the next day and reported her missing.

Police conducted an investigation and found out Jeong had sold his sister-in-law’s car on the day of the murder and confronted him. He then confessed his crimes. Jeong reportedly told the police that he killed the victim because she would always “look down on him.”

Police said it will soon request a formal arrest warrant for Jeong.

Jeong, a former player for the Korean Basketball League’s Ulsan Mobis, is a top basketball prospect gone astray.

Once heralded as a high school superstar, Jeong dropped out of Korea University after failing to adjust to campus life. He was picked in the first round of the KBL draft by Daegu Orions but was cut by the team before his rookie season began.

He was picked up by Ulsan later in the season, but was again cut by the team after playing a handful of games as a key player.

By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)