SONG BYUNGCHUL - Los Angeles Times
Can one kill without a reason? Revenge, deception, the pursuit of power, all excuses that have pushed certain criminals to commit the irreparable. But what about when the murder remains without a valid reason?
On May 5, 2003, in Los Angeles, the police arrive at an apartment building located at 630 S. Masselin Avenue, in a neighborhood nicknamed “Korea Town.” Home to several families of Korean origin, this neighborhood, ordinarily known for being calm and peaceful, becomes, over the course of one night, known for the legal case that would be called the “Miracle Mile Murders,” which took the lives of three people: SONG CHIHYON (30 years old), HYUNWOO (2 years old) and MIN EUNSIK (56 years old). For six years, the case remains unsolved, a cold case like any other…
A mother’s screams can be the most heartbreaking when she discovers her child, lifeless. COSMOS CHANG goes, as she does several times a month, to her daughter SONG CHIHYON’s home, in order to see and take care of her grandson HYUNWOO. But what a surprise, and above all, what horror she felt, when she found all three of them, including the child’s nanny MIN EUNSIK, killed by a bullet to the head. The child and the nanny were in the apartment’s bathroom, while the mother had been gagged with tape, tied up, and also shot in the living room. COSMOS’s screams alerted the neighbors, who called the police around 6 p.m. The investigation had begun.
The crime scene is unusually clean. There does not seem to have been any struggle, except near CHIHYON, nor any theft. The burglary theory is not ruled out, in the absence of apparent causes or explanations connected to the murders, but nothing provides investigators with any leads, until the autopsy of the mother. Indeed, beneath the tape covering her mouth is a piece of latex glove, as well as male DNA. Unfortunately, at the time the crime was committed, the DNA does not match anything in the database of the time. It is therefore impossible to know who the man closely involved in the case is.
“The law does not require the prosecution to prove the existence of a motive.” – Deputy District Attorney FRANK SANTORO
According to detective BRIAN MCCARTIN, who was in charge of the case, the piece of glove had most likely torn when the assailant pulled his hand away from the tape while attacking the mother. The first suspect was then the father, SONG BYUNGCHUL, known to have had extramarital relationships, resulting in tensions within the couple, as well as financial difficulties in the household. The couple owned a clothing business that was experiencing some problems due to a lack of customers.
Then, on May 16, the police received a mysterious anonymous letter accusing the husband of the triple homicide. It contained serious accusations, claiming that BYUNGCHUL had hired killers who had come all the way from Korea in order not to arouse suspicion, to get rid of his wife so that he could live his life openly with his mistress. However, the husband was quickly ruled out of the case because his DNA did not match that found at the crime scene. Ruled out, but not exonerated…
The years pass, go by. No leads, no culprit, nothing explaining the facts. Until March 16, 2009, when the DNA gets a match in the authorities’ database. A neighbor is identified, ROBIN KYU CHO. Living in the same building, he had never been suspected by the police, as nothing had seemed to connect him to the victims until then. Since he also had no criminal record, his DNA had never been collected before late 2008, when he was charged with investment fraud amounting to more than 2 million dollars, at which point his DNA was collected. Matching the samples found on the piece of latex, he was therefore arrested on March 16, nearly six years after the murders.
Despite everything, ROBIN categorically denied it, and although some of the information he gave to the police could have worked in his favor, others, on the contrary, incriminated him further. For example, he explained that he used latex gloves to clean his car so as not to irritate his hands, and that the killer might have stolen them from him. However, the authorities had never revealed to the press that they had found this piece of glove, nor that it was made of latex, so how could he know that they were present at the crime scene? Furthermore, he possessed .38 caliber cartridges, the same as those used in the case.
“We have evidence that establishes the who, the what and the when. It is the why that remains a mystery.” – Prosecutor
Regarding his alibi, he explained that he did not remember what he had done on the day of the murders, before changing his statement to claim that he had shared a meal with his brother in another city, and that he suddenly remembered it because he had supposedly written it down in a notebook at the time. However, it was impossible to find this information in the so-called notebook, making ROBIN appear to be a liar. During the trial, which would take place a few years later, no one was able to testify against him, with his children even emphasizing how much of a loving, good father he was. For lack of evidence allowing him to prove his innocence, he was found guilty in 2012, and sentenced in 2014 to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. But one problem remains: the motive.
ROBIN was never able to provide the slightest motive for his alleged cruel act. During the trial, the prosecutor highlighted ROBIN’s financial difficulties, who nevertheless had stolen nothing from the family apartment, and who also had no major sources of income. As the accused continued to deny everything, the trial simply sought to highlight premeditation and guilt without dwelling on the details. On June 26, 2012, he was found guilty of first-degree murder for SONG CHIHYON and second-degree murder for HYUNWOO and MIN EUNSIK. Upon hearing the verdict, ROBIN burst into tears. He was then 55 years old. Although sentenced to life imprisonment, BYUNGCHUL expressed his disappointment that he had not been sentenced to death, as did the daughter of the nanny MIN EUNSIK.
“It was unbearable to endure people’s stares all this time. Only now do I finally feel that this long-standing grievance has been resolved.” – SONG BYUNGCHUL
Among the many theories discussed during the trial, one was that the author of the anonymous letter accusing the husband was ROBIN, in order to divert suspicion. At the time, the police had placed the husband under surveillance and were investigating possible Korean killers, to no avail. Unable to prove his lack of guilt, ROBIN was therefore convicted solely because his DNA was found on the piece of glove. Finally, the anonymous letter had been typed, and a typewriter was found at his home, although it was impossible to know whether it was the one used to write the letter. Nevertheless, he collected stamps, and the stamp found on the anonymous letter was no longer in circulation, nor was it very common, which could constitute a lead pointing toward ROBIN.
In summary:
- Incriminating: DNA present on the piece of latex found on the victim’s mouth.
- Suspicious: knowledge of the fact that the gloves used were made of latex without this information having been disclosed to the press.
- Strange: presence of a typewriter and collectible stamps at ROBIN’s home.
The perspective on this case, however, is quite different between the United States and Korea. In the Korean press, the emphasis is placed on the fact that the culprit was finally found, after several years without answers, thus not calling ROBIN’s guilt into question and without seeking to know the reasons for his act. The United States places greater emphasis on the absence of a motive or explanation, creating a shadow of uncertainty that still hangs over the case, which prevented the accused from being sentenced to death. This triple murder deeply shocked Korea and the Korean-American community at the time.
- At the heart of the verdict: Han
During an interview with the press, BYUNGCHUL used the phrase “한이 풀린다,” which is not a phrase that can be translated into other languages, as it incorporates such a fundamental value into Korean identity: Han. Although the media later translated it as a pain, a burden that disappears, Han is a much more complex element of Korean culture that encompasses a turmoil of negative emotions, ranging from deep pain, to regret, resentment, or even frustration in the face of injustice. By using it, BYUNGCHUL expresses his relief both for his family and for himself, as he considers himself to have been the victim of an injustice after having been suspected in this case.
The idea of Han is particularly connected to the history of Korea, and the suffering experienced. It can represent a collective feeling in times of war (the Korean War), oppression or occupation (Japanese hegemony), major catastrophe (Sewol), or even periods of famine or poverty. Artistic works have even become famous for conveying this shared feeling among a people, the most popular example being the song “Arirang.” In this song, the suffering of the people is expressed through the lyrics, but transformed through Koreans singing together in unison.
Traditional music has always been the main vehicle for Han, particularly through the genre of Pansori. Considered a narrative art, the singer tells a story that alternates between singing and dialogue, accompanied by traditional instruments. In the world of media, one example is the 2007 film “Secret Sunshine,” directed by LEE CHANGDONG, which tells the story of the pain of a mother who loses her child, like a mirror of BYUNGCHUL’s pain.
What do you think of this case? Can someone be judged guilty without a clear motive or reason? Share your reactions in the comments!
Journalist: Pillet Anaïs
Translator: Pillet Anaïs
Sources: KSTATION TV, in hyperlinks, under the photos
