Long-term unsolved homicide cases to be handled by special team

The National Police Agency announced on Sunday a plan to change the investigation system of cases that remain unsolved for a long term in the wake of the revocation of statute of limitations for homicide. The plan includes the official establishment of special teams in charge of long-term unsolved cases, which were established at 16 provincial and metropolitan police agencies.

According to the reshuffle plan, the teams that were established in 2011 will have team members increase from the current 50 to 72, and place it under the violent crime team under the criminal department. The special team will take charge of investigation of major homicide cases that remain unsolved, investigational assistance to police stations, and management of records and evidence from murder cases that remain unsolved for a long term.

If the initial investigation team fails to arrest the suspect within one year after the crime, the team will be dismantled, and the police station in charge will form a team dedicated to the case. If the case still remains resolved until five years after the crime, the special team devoted exclusively to unsolved cases will take over records and evidence from the case from the police station team, and start investigation. The police have also decided to inform bereaved family of the progress of investigation to appease pain and emptiness of the victim’s family.

If no progress is made even after a 10-year investigation, a review committee on designation of long-term unsolved homicide cases will review whether to determine the case as a long-term unsolved case. If the case is designated as a long-term unsolved case, ordinary investigation activities will end, and investigation will resume when new evidence, intelligence, or eyewitness appears.

“If the special investigation team system is officially launched, the team will be able to focus only on long-term unsolved cases, which will increase the possibility to solve cases,” a police source said. “By sharing investigation skills and know-how of the special investigation team, we will focus on arresting the suspect early on.”

tigermask@donga.com