Probe into deadly Maserati hit-and-run takes cryptic turn

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Probe into deadly Maserati hit-and-run takes cryptic turn

Published: 30 Sep. 2024, 17:38

Officials from the National Forensic Service conduct an examination of the Maserati involved in a fatal hit-and-run drunk driving accident in Gwangju last Wednesday. [YONHAP]

The police investigation into the man behind the wheel of a Maserati involved in a fatal hit-and-run is raising more questions than answers, from locked-up phone records to possible ties to the mob.

The 32-year-old suspect, surnamed Kim, was arrested on Thursday in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, 67 hours after he crashed his white Maserati under the influence into a couple in their 20s on a motorcycle in Gwangju.

The motorcycle was flung across a distance of 100 meters (328 feet), gravely injuring the man and killing the woman.

Kim was subsequently charged with hit-and-run under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. Kim’s three accomplices who helped him run from authorities — Oh, Kim and Yang — were also charged with harboring a criminal and negligence.

Police confiscated Kim’s phone upon his arrest. However, Kim has refused to give up the pass code to his iPhone, making forensics difficult. This is in contrast to Kim’s attitude toward the incident itself, where Kim not only wrote an apology letter to the victims’ families but admitted to the crime immediately after his arrest.

Additional details revealed during the investigation into the "Maserati Four," combined with Kim’s reluctance to cooperate with the authorities and disclose the contents of his phone, have led the police to suspect deeper connections at play.

Kim, charged with fleeing the scene after causing a fatal hit-and-run accident, is escorted to a lockup at Gwangju Seobu Police Station on Friday. [YONHAP]

Thailand enthusiast: Why?

Kim went down to Gwangju on Sept. 21, two days after spending time in the Seoul Metropolitan area upon coming back from Thailand. Kim previously left for Thailand in December last year, and he has been in and out of the country since 2014, according to immigrant records.

Police also revealed that Kim and the other three accomplices have no jobs. Some of the arrested also turned out to have priors, including for fraud. When questioned about his income, Kim refused to answer, only saying that he had come to Korea for dental procedures.

Investigations also revealed that Kim was acting under a different alias at the time of the accident.

Police suspect the four were involved in organized voice phishing and money laundering schemes based in Southeast Asia.

Officials from the National Forensic Service conduct a examination of the Maserati involved in a fatal hit-and-run drunk driving accident in Gwangju last Wednesday. [YONHAP]

The Maserati: Whose is it?

The Maserati in question also sparked suspicion when it was revealed that Kim did not own the car.

Kim immediately discarded the Maserati 500 meters from the crime scene and switched over to a Mercedes-Benz that his accomplice was driving alongside him to flee.

The Maserati fell into police custody at the time of the incident when police found a business card inside the car that did not match Kim’s name. Upon further investigation, police found that the Maserati belonged to a company in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul.

Kim borrowed the Maserati from a friend, surnamed Choi, the same day he touched down in Gwangju. Choi left the country by plane from Incheon International Airport around 9:40 p.m. on Sept. 25, the day after the accident.

The police have also expanded their investigation into the Seoul-based company due to possible involvement in criminal activities.

Oh, an accomplice of Kim, steps out of the Gwangju District Court after attending a warrant pre-trial detention hearing on Saturday [YONHAP]

Burner phones

The specifics of how Kim meticulously evaded law enforcement on the day of the incident were also scrutinized.

On the night of the accident, Kim began heading to Daejeon and eventually Incheon International Airport. He then turned his own phone off near the airport to avoid GPS tracking while purchasing a ticket to Thailand using an acquaintance's phone.

However, Kim gave up fleeing abroad due to continued reports that the authorities were tracking the suspect in the incident and encouragement from those around him to surrender. Instead, he hid in Seoul using a burner phone he received from Oh until the moment of his arrest.

An accomplice of Kim gets into an escort van after attending a pre-trial detention hearing at the Gwangju District Court on Saturday. [YONHAP]

Nonsensical address

Kim’s current address was also brought into question when investigations revealed that Kim’s place of abode was registered as an administrative welfare center in Gwangju, sparking questions as to why a private citizen would reside in a public institution.

Probing by police revealed that Kim’s address was registered as the local institution because Kim hadn't registered a place of residence for an extended period of time. This prompted the local government to register him as a resident of the administrative welfare center on Sept. 2 for management purposes.

According to the police, the Maserati Four were all born between 1991 and 1994 and either currently reside or have previously resided in Gwangju and South Jeolla. They are old friends, having graduated from middle and high schools in the area, and are either classmates or senior-junior acquaintances from the same neighborhood.

Police are considering requesting cooperation from the Thai police or Interpol.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]