South Korea suitcase murder reveals pattern of family abuse

Victim had moved in to protect daughter from her husband's abuse A man in his 20s (left), suspected of beating his mother-in-law to death and abandoning her body in a suitcase, arrives with his wife at the Daegu District Court on Thursday to attend a warrant review hearing. (Yonhap) A man in his 20s (left), suspected of beating his mother-in-law to death and abandoning her body in a suitcase, arrives with his wife at the Daegu District Court on Thursday to attend a warrant review hearing. - Yonhap via The Korea Herald/ANN

SEOUL: A woman found dead inside a suitcase in Daegu had been living with her daughter to shield her from domestic abuse by her husband, South Korean police said, in a case that has exposed sustained violence inside a confined one-room residence.

The suspect, a 27-year-old man, is accused of fatally beating his mother-in-law in an hours-long assault in March, then concealing her body in a travel suitcase and dumping it in a nearby stream.

Investigators said he also exerted control over his wife to prevent the crime from being reported.

According to police on April 3, the 54-year-old victim had been subjected to repeated violence since February. She had moved in with her daughter shortly after her marriage in September, concerned about signs of spousal abuse.

After relocating together to a small officetel-style studio in Daegu’s Jung-gu in February, the abuse intensified.

The suspect is alleged to have assaulted the victim over minor issues, including delays in unpacking after the move.

Despite her daughter’s urging to leave, the victim remained in the apartment and died on March 18 following prolonged physical assault, police said.

The suspect then placed the body in a suitcase and, accompanied by his wife, transported it on foot for roughly 10 to 20 minutes before disposing of it in the Sincheon stream in Buk-gu’s Chilseong-dong area.

Authorities said the suspect subsequently instructed his wife not to contact police or respond to calls, effectively restricting her movements and communications.

He is also believed to have remained with her continuously for about two weeks until the body was discovered.

The wife told investigators she did not report the crime out of fear of retaliation, according to police.

The body was discovered on March 31, prompting the couple’s arrest later that day.

The husband has been detained on charges including the murder of a family member and abandonment of a body, while the wife faces charges of abandoning a body.

Police said they are reviewing additional charges related to domestic abuse against the wife. - The Korea Herald/ANN