SEOUL: A woman suspected of causing two deaths via drug-laced drinks was arrested Thursday (Feb 12), with investigators suspecting murderous intent against her boyfriend and two other men with whom she was acquainted.
The suspect surnamed Kim is accused of causing death resulting from bodily injury and violating the Narcotics Control Act for giving the victims drinks laced with sleep-inducing medication, according to the Seoul Gangbuk Police Station.
She allegedly struck three times between December and February, using the benzodiazepine drugs she had been prescribed for a mental illness.
The drug used in the crime can cause paralysis or difficulty breathing, especially if used in large doses and with alcohol.
It was found that at least the victims in the second and third cases had consumed alcohol.
Officials believe that the first attack was on Dec 14 against her then-boyfriend, at a parking lot in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province.
She gave him an energy drink laced with the drugs, thanking him for driving all day.
The victim lost consciousness but recovered after two days. He filed a petition to the police in January, when Kim failed to explain what was in the drink.
The second crime occurred on Jan 28 when Kim went into a motel in Gangbuk-gu, northern Seoul, with a man she met a week earlier.
Kim left the room after seeing the victim lose consciousness, and his lifeless body was found the next day.
The third victim went into another motel in the same area with Kim on Feb. 9 and was also found dead the next day.
Kim claimed that she gave the drinks to the victims to avoid confrontation, and said she did not even know that they had died before the police apprehended her.
But the police believe that she had premeditated the crime, considering that she was well aware of the drug's effect, prepared the drinks in advance, and collected the empty bottles after the attacks.
The suspect also said she put twice as much of the drug in the drinks used for the second and third attacks, leading police to believe that she had, in fact, intended to kill the victims.
Police officials are currently investigating the cases as accidental deaths, but are considering the possibility of changing the charges to murder.
While Kim claimed she only drugged those three men, officials suspect that other attacks of a similar nature might have occurred.
A search and seizure of her home on Tuesday revealed several more bottles of the drink, identical to the bottles that were used in the crimes. - The Korea Herald/ANN
