en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoo_Young-chul
3 corrections found
murder, cannibalism (2004)
This case did not establish cannibalism as a criminal charge. Contemporary reports say prosecutors indicted Yoo for murder-related offenses and said they had not secured evidence proving cannibalism.
Full reasoning
The infobox labels "cannibalism" as one of Yoo Young-chul's 2004 criminal charges, but the contemporaneous reporting does not support that.
- A Chosun Ilbo report from August 13, 2004 says prosecutors had indicted Yoo on charges related to killing elderly people and women, arson, and corpse abandonment.
- The same report adds that prosecutors "have yet to secure evidence proving Yoo engaged in acts of cannibalism."
- Later court coverage from JoongAng describes him as being on trial on charges of murdering 21 people and then being convicted of 20 murders; it does not describe cannibalism as a separate criminal charge.
So while Yoo reportedly confessed to eating parts of victims, the article's infobox overstates that claim by presenting cannibalism as an established 2004 charge.
3 sources
- Serial Killer Claims to Have Eaten Victims' Organs
The Seoul Central Prosecutors' Office has arrested and indicted suspected serial killer Yoo Young-chul on 11 charges of killing elderly people and women, arson and corpse abandonment. Prosecutors explained, however, that they have yet to secure evidence proving Yoo engaged in acts of cannibalism.
- Prosecutors demand death for serial killer
Prosecutors demanded the death penalty yesterday for Yoo Yeong-cheol, on trial on charges of murdering 21 people.
- Court sentences serial killer to death
The 34-year-old Yoo, who was arrested on July 15, was found guilty of killing 11 young women believed to be involved in the sex trade and nine affluent senior citizens.
although one case was dismissed when it turned out that the crime had been committed by another serial killer, Jeong Nam-gyu
The Imun-dong count was not dismissed because authorities had already determined Jeong Nam-gyu committed it. In 2004 the court threw that charge out for lack of evidence, and Jeong Nam-gyu's confession to that killing came later.
Full reasoning
This sentence compresses two different events into one misleading causal claim.
What the contemporaneous court reporting says:
- On December 13, 2004, JoongAng reported that the court "struck down one murder charge" in the Imun-dong case "for which the judges said there was no evidence."
- On June 9, 2005, Chosun reported that the Supreme Court dismissed prosecutors' appeal over that not-guilty verdict for the 21st murder.
What later reporting on Jeong Nam-gyu says:
- A later Dong-A Ilbo report from May 2, 2006 says police obtained a statement from Jeong Nam-gyu that he had committed the 2004 Imun-dong murder.
So the count was not dismissed because it had already turned out to be Jeong Nam-gyu's crime. At the time of Yoo's trial and appeal, the courts said the problem was lack of evidence against Yoo. Jeong Nam-gyu's link to the case emerged later.
3 sources
- Court sentences serial killer to death
The court struck down one murder charge, involving a woman in her 20s found dead in Imun-dong, northern Seoul, for which the judges said there was no evidence.
- Death Sentence for Serial Killer Confirmed
The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed the death sentence for Yoo Young-chul (35) who was convicted of murdering 20 people. But the court dismissed an appeal from prosecutors over a not guilty verdict for a 21st murder.
- “이문동 살인도 내가 저질렀다” 연쇄살인 용의자 5건 자백
경찰은 정 씨에게서 2004년 2월 서울 동대문구 이문동에서 전모(24·여) 씨를 흉기로 찔러 살해했다는 진술을 받아 냈다. (Police said they obtained a statement from Jeong that he stabbed and killed Ms. Jeon, 24, in Imun-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, in February 2004.)
At 5 am, 15 July 2004, Yoo was captured by police near Grand-mart in Mapo-gu, Seoul.
Contemporary reporting says massage-parlor employees—not police—caught Yoo first. A police officer arrived afterward and handcuffed him.
Full reasoning
This line incorrectly credits the arrest to police.
A JoongAng Daily report published on July 20, 2004 states plainly that "Massage parlor employees, not police professionals, caught serial murder suspect Yoo Yeong-cheol". The article explains that after a police officer left the meeting site, Yoo arrived and was captured by massage parlor employees after a scuffle; only then did another police officer arrive and handcuff him.
The same basic account appears earlier in this very article's own prose section, which says Yoo was apprehended by employees from the massage parlor and then handcuffed by police afterward. That means the bullet point claiming he was "captured by police" is inconsistent with the contemporary reporting and with the rest of the page.
1 source
- Serial killer was caught by masseuses, not the police
Massage parlor employees, not police professionals, caught serial murder suspect Yoo Yeong-cheol, police acknowledged yesterday. ... After the officer left, Mr. Yoo appeared at the site and was captured by massage parlor employees after a scuffle. Another police officer patrolling nearby arrived and handcuffed Mr. Yoo.