Body found in dumpster identified as Korean woman in U.S. cold case breakthrough

Social Affairs

Published: 31 Oct. 2023, 18:35

Body found in dumpster identified as Korean woman in U.S. cold case breakthrough

Left: The young woman's body was found in a dumpster in Jenkins County, Georgia. Center: Chong Un Kim. Upper right: A composite image of Kim. Lower right: A sketch of Kim via a forensic artist. [GEORGIA BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION]

The human remains found in a dumpster in the United States in the late 1980s have been identified as belonging to a Korean woman.

Chong Un Kim, 26, was discovered through DNA testing to be the woman whose body was found dead in a suitcase inside a dumpster on Feb. 14, 1988, in Jenkins County, Georgia.

The cold case was being investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), a statewide agency that supports the state's criminal justice system.

Kim lived in Hinesville, Liberty County, Georgia. She was 26 years old when she was found.

She came to the United States from Korea in 1981 and lived in Hinesville, Georgia, before her death in 1988.

On the day of the discovery, the GBI received a request from the Jenkins County Sheriff’s Office to assist with a death investigation.

The victim, wrapped in plastic and duct tape, was found inside a large, nylon suitcase that had been placed inside a dumpster just north of Millen, Georgia, in Jenkins County.

The victim had been dead for about four to seven days. The cause of death was asphyxiation.

During the investigation, fingerprints and dental records from the victim were compared to other missing persons from around the country.

A GBI forensic artist created a sketch of what the person may have looked like, which was distributed to the public.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NAMUS) opened a case, while the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) also created and disseminated a computer-generated sketch.

With the advancement of DNA technology in the years that followed, police resubmitted evidence to the GBI Crime Lab for additional testing.

Analysts found DNA on the items submitted, but the profiles obtained were not eligible for entry into the CODIS DNA Database, the national DNA database of the United States.

In 2023, the GBI began working with Othram, a company that uses advanced DNA testing to solve such cases.

Texas-based Othram uses forensic-grade genome sequencing to develop genealogical profiles.

The GBI sent forensic evidence to Othram. Based on the DNA, a genealogical search produced investigative leads that led to Kim’s identification.

The GBI has notified Kim’s family about the identification.

BY TREVOR TREHARNE [trevor.treharne@joongang.co.kr]