Inha University murder suspect in court for warrant review

Social Affairs

Published: 17 Jul. 2022, 18:08 Updated: 17 Jul. 2022, 18:10

Inha University murder suspect in court for warrant review

Dressed in a black hoodie with his face obscured by a mask and baseball cap, the suspect in the murder of a student at Inha University is escorted by police officers to his warrant review at Incheon District Court in Michuhol District, central Incheon on Sunday afternoon. [YONHAP]

The Incheon District Court held a hearing Sunday to consider the issuing of an arrest warrant for a student at Inha University suspected of killing a classmate and sexually assaulting her, police said Sunday.

The suspect was escorted by police officers to court for his warrant review at 3:30 p.m. The outcome is expected to be determined late Sunday evening.

The suspect’s face was obscured with a face mask, a baseball cap and a black hoodie, and he said little to reporters shouting questions except that he was “sorry.”

The man, only described by police as being a first-year college student in his 20s, was initially taken into custody by Incheon Michuhol Police Precinct on Friday as a person of interest in the death a woman at the Michuhol campus of Inha University, where both were students.

He is being detained on suspicion of sexual assault and murder.

Police believe the victim, who was also in her 20’s, was drinking with the suspect just before her death.

The two were enrolled in the same online summer class at the university and are believed to have been on campus the day of the victim’s death to study for an exam.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from campus security cameras showed the suspect half-carrying the victim into a university building around 1:30 a.m. on Friday.

The victim was discovered by a passerby on the ground inside the campus at 3:49 a.m. bleeding profusely from her head, nose and mouth.

She had no heartbeat when found and was declared dead shortly after arriving at a hospital.

The male student’s mobile phone was discovered inside the building he entered with the victim, leading police to hone in on him as a suspect.

Police believe the suspect sexually assaulted the woman and pushed her from the third floor, causing her death. A yellow police cordon currently seals off a staircase inside the building.

The suspect has already admitted to a significant portion of the allegations against him, according to a police official who spoke to Yonhap.

Based on articles of clothing, including underwear and trousers, that were discovered only a few feet away from the victim’s body, police are currently investigating whether the suspect also attempted to destroy evidence of sexual assault.

Police have referred the victim’s body for an autopsy by the National Forensic Service to determine the exact cause and circumstances of her death.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]