▲ Suspect Lee Eun-hae (left) and accomplice Jo Hyeon-soo in 'Gapyeong Valley Husband Murder Case'


A woman in her 30s and an accomplice, who were being investigated for murdering her husband in the Gapyeong Valley in Gyeonggi Province three years ago, escaped three months ago and their whereabouts were unknown, so the prosecution went on a public search.



The Incheon District Prosecutor's Office's 2nd Detective Division (Chief Prosecutor Kim Chang-soo) announced today (30th) that they wanted the arrest warrants for Lee Eun-hae (31, female) and her accomplice, Cho Hyeon-soo (30) for murder.



Lee and Cho are accused of killing Lee's husband, A (age 39 at the time of death), in Yongso Valley, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, in June 2019.



Prosecutors believe that they killed Mr. A, who could not swim at all, because he did not rescue him after he had him dive in a valley.



In February of the same year, Mr. Lee and Mr. Cho tried to kill Mr. A by feeding him food mixed with puffer fish blood at a pension in Yangyang-gun, Gangwon-do, but failed because the toxicity was less than lethal.



Also, three months later, at a fishing site in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, he was caught by an acquaintance who woke up trying to kill Mr. A by drowning it.



Prosecutors determined that Lee, who is known to be a lover with Cho, was murdered for the purpose of 800 million won in life insurance money in her husband's name.



In fact, Ms. Lee claimed her husband's life insurance with her insurance company five months after her husband's death, but she was turned down.



At the time, it was reported that the insurance company refused to pay the insurance because it was suspected of committing a fraudulent act.



After the death of Mr. A, the Gapyeong Police Station in Gyeonggi Province closed the investigation due to a death case, but in October 2019, an acquaintance of the bereaved family reported it to the Ilsan Western Police Station, Gyeonggi Province, and a re-investigation was carried out.



This incident was lit up under the title 'The last dive of the day - Gapyeong Valley Drowning Case Mystery' on a current affairs program of a broadcasting company in October 2020.



In December 2020, Lee and Cho were transferred to the Goyang Branch of the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office on charges of murder and attempted violation of the Special Act on the Prevention of Insurance Fraud.



The Goyang Branch of the Uijeongbu District Prosecutor's Office transferred the case to the Incheon District Public Prosecutor's Office, which has jurisdiction over the residence of the suspects, and the Incheon District Public Prosecutor's Office summoned them for investigation in December last year.



Mr. Lee and Mr. Cho have been missing for three months after fleeing ahead of the second investigation that will follow the next day.



A prosecution official said, "After the suspects fled, we continued to investigate to find out whereabouts, but we have not been able to arrest them yet."



(Photo=provided by the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office, Yonhap News)