When investigators hunt for the truth, they piece together fragments using decades-old records, notebooks, and cameras. The creators of renowned investigative series present a deep dive into one of the most disturbing crime scenes imaginable.
Sitting in the interrogation room, 28-year-old Mr. Lee insisted he was innocent. As a resident of the rooftop room above the home of 38-year-old Mr. Kim, the owner of a local video rental shop, Lee frequently helped out with business operations. While Lee admitted to striking Kim, he drew a firm line against murder, claiming he simply did as he was told.
Police responded with skepticism, questioning if the victim genuinely asked to be killed. Lee explained that after hitting Kim once with a billiard cue, the stick broke and his memory went blank. He then dropped a shocking statement: if authorities didn’t believe him, they should watch the videotape where he recorded the entire night’s events.
The gruesome discovery unfolded in a small South Korean town after a fire department responded to a shuttered video rental store. Inside, Kim’s body lay in a pool of blood with packing tape wrapped tightly from his ankles to his chest, making him resemble a mummy. An extra blanket and a black plastic bag covered his face, and the official cause of death was determined to be a fractured skull from blunt force trauma.
Bizarrely, the victim showed no defensive wounds whatsoever, and toxicological reports revealed no drugs or alcohol in his system. The extreme violence concentrated on the face heavily suggested a targeted grudge by someone close to the victim.
Investigators initially scrutinized the wife after discovering a peculiar clause in her insurance policy that offered payouts for head injuries and accidental death. However, the wife was entirely unaware of the policy and possessed a solid alibi for the time of the murder.
Suspension swiftly shifted toward the rooftop apartment where Lee lived. Upon searching the space, police uncovered multiple monitors streaming live footage from inside the couple’s home, revealing hidden cameras and wiretaps installed in the living room, kitchen, and master bedroom.
Footage recovered from the scene showed a premeditated dialogue between the store owner and Lee, who maintained a polite tone throughout. As the video continued, the sound of a breaking billiard cue echoed just fifteen seconds before an unfamiliar, chilling voice shouted threats at the victim. The full extent of this bizarre murder case continues to captivate true crime audiences.
