Police probe investigators in Hwaseong killings

Police said Tuesday that they have pressed power abuse charges against a prosecutor and police officers who interrogated a 53-year-old surnamed Yun who was sentenced to life in prison for the eighth murder of the Hwaseong serial killings that took place here in the 1980s and ’90s.

“We have booked a total of eight law enforcement officials on charges that include abuse of power,” the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Policy Agency said at a press briefing.

The accused include a lead prosecutor, managerial level police officer and six other investigators. The prosecutor is accused of detaining Yun for 75 consecutive hours without a warrant or legal grounds. Other investigators face similar charges, including unlawful detention, battery and document forgery.

Although the alleged offenders are not subject to punishment as the statute of limitations has expired, police said that they pressed charges to formally put on record what happened and who was responsible for the wrongdoings alleged by Yun.

At Yun and his defense team’s request, prosecutors are revisiting Yun’s conviction for the eighth murder of the Hwaseong serial killings, in which 10 people were raped and murdered in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, from 1986 to 1991.

Sentenced to life in prison, Yun was released on parole in 2009 after serving some 20 years. A month ago, he filed for a retrial, citing malfeasance that included the police’s abuse of power during his investigation, after Lee Chun-jae, who is serving time for raping and killing his sister-in-law, admitted to the serial killings.

Police revealed that a former National Forensic Service employee made an error in writing a lab report, which matched Yun’s body hair to that of a potential suspect. The report was key evidence incriminating Yun, but the employee told police he was unaware of the case. Police have yet to rule the report manipulated.

Police said they also charged two detectives who investigated the case of a missing elementary school girl whom Lee confessed to having killed. The detectives are suspected of harboring bodily remains of the girl and destroying evidence.

Police added they have decided to rename the Hwaseong serial killings to the Lee Chun-jae killings.

By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)