Brave Detectives revealed the relentless investigation of detectives uncovering the truth behind a horrific crime.
The 69th episode of E Channel’s Brave Detectives 4, aired on the 30th, featured Detective Team 1 Chief Cho Tae Gi, Detective Team 2 Officer Jo Hyun Ki, Detective Team 6 Officer Park Jae Woo from Yangsan Police Station, and former National Police Commissioner Yun Oe Chul and Detective Kim Jin Soo from the Scientific Investigation Unit (KCSI). Entertainer Eom Ji Yoon joined as a guest and showcased her enthusiasm. Eom Ji Yoon said, “I prefer cases where the culprit is caught rather than unsolved crimes, so I wanted to appear on the show.”
The first case introduced that day began with a fire report at dawn: “There’s smoke coming from a church site scheduled for redevelopment.” The fire was soon extinguished, but a suspicious burnt smell accompanied by the scent of gasoline lingered in a pile of trash. Initially mistaken for animal remains, the debris was confirmed to be human body parts, with the head, torso, and pelvis separated.
Based on the size of the pelvis, the victim was presumed female. The area was fenced off with high barriers due to redevelopment restrictions, but a crucial clue was captured on nearby CCTV. About 30 minutes before the report, flames suspected to be arson were spotted. Only one person, a man identified as Mr. Park (alias), was seen entering and exiting the fenced area around the time of the incident, later entering a nearby row house. Park had a prior record for involuntary manslaughter, and residents testified that his wife had not been seen for some time. The couple had lived together in a de facto marriage for 12 years, with the last sighting of the cohabitant occurring 16 days before the fire.
The victim’s younger sister expressed concern, saying they had lost contact. It was also revealed that from a few days before the fire, Park had been responding to messages and calls meant for the victim. Despite financial difficulties, the victim had supported Park by paying off his gambling debts. The investigation team arrested Park 12 hours after the fire. Though the house appeared clean, luminol tests reacted, and weapons including a hammer, pruning shears, and a saw were found in the refrigerator. Other remains were recovered from places Park visited the day before the arson via CCTV footage.
Park initially denied the crime but offered absurd statements when confronted with evidence, such as “I woke up to find my partner’s body in the bathroom” or “I drank and woke up to the body wrapped in a plastic bag.” He insisted that the victim’s nagging about alcohol caused the crime. The body was severely mutilated, making the exact cause of death undetermined. During the investigation, Park’s prior involuntary manslaughter case came under scrutiny, revealing he had abused the victim, shocking the public. He was ultimately sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Next, KCSI introduced a case that started with a mysterious fire at a local natural recreation forest. A morning patrol officer discovered two bungalows had been burned to ashes overnight and reported to the police. Gasoline odors and what appeared to be human bones were found at the scene. After searches, four bodies were confirmed. The guests who checked in the day before were a man in his 40s, with the vehicle registered to his wife. Investigations found that the couple and their two middle school children were all unreachable.
DNA testing confirmed that three of the bodies were family members, while the fourth was too mutilated for identification, though presumed to be a family member. The investigation focused on the possibility of a family murder followed by arson to eliminate evidence. A bloodstained weapon was found in a fire pit in front of the bungalow, and blood was detected inside the husband’s vehicle parked nearby. During the investigation, it was revealed that the husband had told relatives he was about to make big money from a secret government project and a new drug development investment, linked to a figure known as “Professor Jung,” whom he met while playing tennis. The husband had actually handed about ₩200 million KRW (about $138,000 USD) to Professor Jung.
Detectives uncovered that Professor Jung presented himself as an honorary professor at a prestigious university and as someone handling national secrets, encouraging many to invest through tennis gatherings. However, no one knew his real name or contact information—he communicated solely via payphone. Analyzing calls made from the payphone after the incident, they identified two related individuals and successfully arrested Professor Jung through his mistress. The two contacts were a local official and a graduate student, initially accused as accomplices but actually victims deceived and exploited by him. Jung had instructed them to prepare a vehicle, gasoline, and electric shock devices and to wait near the scene on the day of the crime.
The arrested Jung was unemployed. He had met with the victim’s family multiple times, and since the children recognized him, he claimed to have committed the crime, alleging he acted in self-defense because the husband doubted his relationship with the wife. Jung repeated this claim in court but revealed the details of the murder to a fellow inmate during prosecution. The court sentenced Jung to death. Lee Jung Hwan expressed bitterness, saying, “There are too many bad people in the world.”