Police Serial Killer Investigation Wholly Dependent on Yoo’s Testimony

The mobile criminal investigation squad of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency stated yesterday, “We will wrap up the investigation of serial killer Yoo Young-chul in 10 days and send him to the prosecution on the morning of July 26.”

The investigation revealed that Yoo murdered 21 victims. However, specifics such as his motivation, possible additional crimes and further evidence have been left unsettled. The prosecution, therefore, will now take charge of a re-examination of Yoo for at most 20 days to clear doubtful points before his indictment.

--An investigation dependent on statements only

The police have been almost entirely dependent on Yoo’s own statements from the beginning of the investigation.

Yoo first said, “I killed 26 people, including the victims of the southwest region murder cases.”

However, he recently changed his words to, “I have no connection with the southwest cases.”

When the police asked about his additional crimes, he said, “I can take the crimes upon myself, but what if the true culprits are captured later? Your investigations so far would be nothing then.”

As the police have not found any other evidence except Yoo’s statements, they have been bent on currying favor with him by persuasive techniques.

Moreover, a blunt weapon Yoo said he had used to kill some of his victims is the only real evidence the police have procured. Chief Choi In-sup of the Korean Institute of Criminology acknowledged, “As there is not much real evidence, it would be difficult to prove the charge against him if he changes his statements.”

--Remaining points in question

The motivation behind his murders and possible additional crimes are the matters of primary concern for now. Yoo insists he did not kill anyone from the middle of last November to the beginning of this February and from the middle of this April to the beginning of June. However, serial killers usually commit crimes periodically. The police have to investigate completely the possibility of additional crimes during those periods.

At first, the police stated, “Yoo gives the impression that he is different from other ordinary criminals. Also, he is consistently insisting he targeted only the rich and women of loose conduct.”

However, later on, cases in which he had represented himself as a police officer and committed murders were detected, and there were several crimes not much different from other ordinary crimes. These cannot be explained by the motivation that the police revealed first.

--Police investigation being tested

The police arrested Yoo based on the statements of those who sent the murdered massage parlor workers to him on the morning of July 15, but they opened themselves to criticism by losing him that night. They are expected to conduct an intensive self-inspection of the whole police investigation process starting today.

Se-Jin Jung needjung@donga.com mint4a@donga.com