Teen killer suffers from schizophrenia: police

The teenager who allegedly kidnapped and killed an 8-year-old girl in Incheon has been suffering from schizophrenia, police confirmed Sunday.

Police concluded that the suspect, a 17-year-old high school dropout, acted alone, ruling out the possibility of an accomplice. 

Investigators plan to send the case to prosecutors for further investigation and an indictment.

The suspect, identified only by her surname Kim, was apprehended in a quiet residential district of Incheon, Wednesday, after the victim’s body was found dismembered in garbage bags atop the roof of a facility housing a water tank at 10 p.m. on the same day.

She and the victim lived in the same apartment complex, but reportedly had no prior contact.

According to police, the suspect met the victim at a playground on Wednesday and lured the elementary school student to her home with a phone.

Kim confessed to having strangled the girl to death with a cable wire, but said she does not remember the process of dismembering the body or the reason for committing the crime. She is also reported be to have told her lawyer she thought the whole incident was a dream.

According to her family, Kim has been receiving treatment for mental illnesses over the past seven years and dropped out of high school last year after difficulty adjusting.

Depending on whether she had the deliberate intention to kill the child, she could face up to 15 years in prison.

By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)