A woman discovered lifeless within the trunk of a automotive previous this week was once allegedly lured to the U.S. from South Korea to enroll in a religious group, then tortured within the basement of a Georgia house, police stated.
Six people, together with a 15-year-old boy, were arrested and charged with homicide in reference to the woman’s dying, Gwinnett County police introduced on Thursday.
The sufferer — who is assumed to be in her 20s to mid-30s — is assumed to have moved to the U.S. someday over the summer time to enroll in what the suspects known as “Soldiers of Christ,” police stated.
The deceased sufferer was once discovered within the trunk of a silver automotive parked in a car park in Duluth, Georgia, police stated.
Gwinnett County Police Department
“Apparently the victim was subjected to beatings, malnourishment — which subsequently resulted in what the medical examiner’s office believes was the cause of her death,” Cpl. Juan Madiedo, a spokesperson with the Gwinnett County Police Department, stated throughout a press briefing on Thursday.
Police imagine the sufferer starved for a number of weeks and died someday in overdue August. She weighed roughly 70 kilos when she was once discovered on Tuesday, police stated. Her frame was once additionally burned and wrapped in a blanket, in step with the arrest warrants.
The actual reason of dying continues to be beneath investigation.
A relative of one of the suspects discovered her frame within the trunk of a automotive parked in a shopping mall parking space in Duluth Tuesday evening and referred to as 911, police stated. The suspect — Eric Hyun, 26 — allegedly requested the circle of relatives member to retrieve an merchandise for him from the automobile whilst he was once within the medical institution for unspecified accidents, police stated.
The resulting investigation led detectives to a space related to Hyun in Lawrenceville, the place proof of the beatings was once discovered within the basement, police stated.
The sufferer was once allegedly tortured within the basement of a space in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
WSB
In addition to Hyun, 4 different adults — Gawom Lee, 26; Joonho Lee, 26; Juoonhyum Lee, 22; and Hyunji Lee, 25 — and a 15-year-old have been arrested and charged with criminal homicide, false imprisonment, tampering with proof and concealing the dying of some other, police stated.
Police (*6*) that they’ve additionally secured a couple of felony boulevard gang warrants for each and every of the suspects.
Georgia regulation describes a felony boulevard gang as “any organization, association, or group of three or more persons associated in fact, whether formal or informal, which engages in criminal gang activity,” police stated.
A court-appointed lawyer for Joonho Lee informed ABC News he has no remark presently.
Hyunji Lee’s court-appointed lawyer, Kenneth Sheppard, informed ABC News he’s going to be inquiring for a initial listening to and plans to transport ahead with that, if she isn’t indicted sooner than that tournament.
ABC News has reached out to Gawom Lee’s lawyer for remark.
Online court docket information didn’t come with any lawyer information for Hyun and Juoonhyum Lee.
Police launched the mug photographs for 5 of the 6 suspects arrested (the sixth is a juvenile and wasn’t launched.) From left are: Eric Hyun, Gawom Lee, Hyunji Lee, Juoonhyum Lee, Joonho Lee.
Gwinnett County Police Department
Three of the suspects are brothers, whilst Hyunji Lee is the female friend of one of the suspects, Madiedo stated. All are living on the house except for for Hyun, who at one time lived there, Madiedo stated.
Detectives don’t imagine there are some other sufferers or suspects, Madiedo stated.
The sufferer was once now not publicly recognized through police, who stated Thursday that her circle of relatives in South Korea had now not but been notified of her dying.
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