Authorities in Georgia have detained six persons they say are part of a religious sect calling itself the “Soldiers of Christ” in connection with the murder of a South Korean female who was tortured and starved to death.
Investigators say she suffered torture in the basement of a residence after being persuaded there by a religious group.
On Thursday, Gwinnett County police said that six persons, including a 15-year-old boy, had been detained and accused of murder for their involvement with the woman’s death.
Law enforcement said that they had arrested Eric Hyun, 26, Gawon Lee, 26, Joonho Lee, 26, Hyunji Lee, 25, Joonhyun Lee, 22, and the boy on suspicion of criminal murder, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence, and hiding a death.
Cpl. Juan Madiedo, a spokesman for the Gwinnett County Police Department, stated during a news conference on Thursday that the medical examiner’s office thinks that the victim died as a consequence of physical abuse and malnourishment. According to the authorities, a woman in her twenties to thirties, the victim, is thought to have come to the United States this summer to join the group.
According to a new statement from the Gwinnett County Police Department, police from the Central Precinct were sent to a 24-hour Korean bathhouse in Duluth, Georgia, on September 12 in response to a complaint concerning suspicious behavior.
Upon arrival, emergency personnel verified that a woman’s corpse had been discovered inside a Jaguar automobile parked in front of the spa. The authorities estimated that the corpse had been in the location for at least a week.
The victim is not being named because officials have not been able to reach her family in South Korea to inform them of her death.
According to the statement, there is no evidence to suggest that there may have been any other casualties or individuals who have not yet been apprehended.
