Six Members of Religious Group Arrested in Connection with Death of South Korean Woman in Georgia
(CNN) — Six individuals claiming to be members of a religious organization called “Soldiers of Christ” have been taken into custody after a South Korean woman was found dead in Georgia. The victim, aged between 20 and 30 years old, weighed only 30 kilos when she was discovered on Tuesday night in the trunk of a car parked outside Jeju Sauna, a popular South Korean spa in Duluth, located approximately 40 kilometers north of Atlanta, according to a news release by the Gwinnett County Police Department.
Duluth, a city with a population that is nearly a quarter Asian, as per the U.S. Census Bureau, is now shaken by this horrific incident. While malnutrition is believed to be a contributing factor in the woman’s death, the exact cause is still under investigation, the police informed. Detectives suspect that the woman had endured beatings and malnutrition for weeks before her death. The agency also stated that the victim moved to the United States from South Korea earlier this year with the intention of joining a religious organization.
Authorities first discovered the woman’s body in the trunk of a car after one of the suspects, 26-year-old Eric Hyun, left his vehicle in a parking lot and was picked up by a family member, according to the police report. Later, Hyun asked his relative to retrieve something from his car, when the family member made the gruesome discovery and immediately alerted emergency services.
Following this revelation, law enforcement officials obtained a search warrant for a residence linked to the vehicle, and it was there that the woman’s body was allegedly found. The police believe that the “Soldiers of Christ” beat and held the victim captive in the house until her demise, although the exact date of her death has not been specified yet.
Alongside Hyun, police have identified the remaining suspects as Gawom Lee (26 years old), Joonho Lee (26 years old), Hyunji Lee (25 years old), and Juoonhyum Lee (22 years old). Additionally, one of the arrested individuals is a 15-year-old minor, who is being charged as an adult but will not be named by CNN. All six face charges of felony murder, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence, and concealing the death of another person.
CNN has been unable to identify any attorneys representing the suspects for comment at this time. When contacted by CNN for a statement, the South Korean consulate in Atlanta declined to provide any comments on the case. Authorities have mentioned that one of the suspects is a South Korean citizen visiting the country on a visa, while the others are U.S. citizens.
Pictures released by the police depict a storage room in the basement with neatly arranged dirty clothes and other supplies on shelves. The bedroom carpet also shows significant areas of blood, though these have been removed in the photographs provided by the department.
The police have not released the victim’s name, pending notification of her family in South Korea.
As the investigation continues, the community mourns the loss of a young woman and seeks justice for her tragic death.