A South Korean woman who killed a stranger because she wanted to know how it felt to be a murderer has been sentenced to life in prison.
Busan District Court Judge Kim Tae-eob sentenced Jung Yoo-jung, 23, to life in prison for the stabbing death of an English teacher. Yoo-Jung pleaded guilty to premeditated murder, desecration, and abandonment of a corpse after confessing to the killing. The defendant claimed the fatal incident stemmed from her curiosity as a fanatic of true crime shows and books about being a murderer, according to People.
In May 2023, Yoo-Jung, who posed as a mother looking for an English teacher for her daughter, used an app to select the murder victim after she had interviewed over 50 applicants. Then, the defendant met the teacher at her home dressed in a school uniform, posing as a student. Upon entry, Yoo-Jung fatally stabbed the woman over 100 times before going to the supermarket to purchase bins and bleach. Then, the defendant dismembered the victim.
Authorities received a tip from a driver who was suspicious of the defendant’s behavior after she took a taxi to the woods along Nakdong River to dispose of some of the body parts. Soon, investigators brought in Yoo-Jung for questioning. She initially told investigators someone had killed the lady before she moved her body. However, authorities retrieved video footage from CCTV cameras that showed her approaching the home and returning to the scene several times.
In addition, Yoo-Jung was reported to have threatened her grandfather, and her online search included killing close relatives.
At the sentencing hearing, Yoo-Jung asked the court to grant her leniency due to her history of mental illness and hallucinations. The judge, who had turned down the prosecutor’s request for a death penalty, disagreed with her because the murder was carefully planned and carried out, reported BBC News.
During the sentencing, Tae-eob stated that the killing had spread fear in the South Korean communities where an individual can become a victim for no reason.
In addition, the judge ordered Yoo-Jung to wear a tracking device for 30 years.
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