Police investigating the Daegu "suitcase body" case have obtained statements that a female victim in her 50s died from a beating by her son-in-law and have filed arrest warrants for the victim's daughter and son-in-law. The son-in-law allegedly beat the victim to death for making noise and failing to keep the house tidy, according to investigators.
According to the Daegu Bukbu Police Station on July 1, the victim's daughter B, in her 20s, and son-in-law C, also in his 20s — who were apprehended the previous day on suspicion of abandoning the body of the deceased woman identified as A — gave matching statements to police that "A died as a result of a beating by son-in-law C." C stated that "he assaulted the victim because she habitually made noise at home and did not keep things organized."
Police said a preliminary autopsy found "multiple fractures in numerous areas including the ribs and pelvis," adding that "the estimated cause of death is multiple injuries caused by external force." Police believe C repeatedly beat A with his fists and feet without using any blunt weapon. A had been living separately from her husband with B and her spouse, investigators found.
Based on the autopsy results, police determined there was intent to kill and filed an arrest warrant for son-in-law C on charges of murder of a lineal ascendant and corpse abandonment, and for daughter B on charges of corpse abandonment. Police also plan to conduct additional detailed tests for toxic substances, considering the possibility of poisoning.
The case began the previous day at around 10:30 a.m. when a resident reported that "a suitcase was floating downstream" in Sincheon stream under a submersible bridge in Chilseong-dong, Buk-gu, Daegu. Officers who responded to the scene discovered A's body inside the suitcase during the recovery process. At the time of discovery, A was not wearing shoes.
Police identified the victim as A, a woman in her 50s residing in Daegu, by collecting fingerprints and other evidence from the body. Subsequent analysis of nearby CCTV footage revealed evidence that A's daughter B and son-in-law C were involved in abandoning the body, leading to their emergency arrest on suspicion of corpse abandonment.
