[News] 'Itaewon Murder' Case Up for Reopening / ผลจากภาพยนตร์ “Itaewon Murder” ทำให้สำนักงานอัยการเกาหลีใต้รื้อคดี “อิแทวอน” ขึ้นมาอีกครั้ง.

[Trailer] Itaewon Murder (The Case of Itaewon Homicide/이태원 살인사건)

ในที่สุดก็มีความพยายามรื้อคดีฆาตกรรม “อิแทวอน” ขึ้นมาอีกครั้ง โดยทางสำนักอัยการของโซลได้ส่งเอกสารไปทางอเมริกาเพื่อขอตัว อาเธอร์ แพตเตอร์สัน กลับมาเพื่อสอบสวนใหม่อีกครั้ง แต่เนื่องจากเวลาล่วงเลยมาถึง 12 ปี ทางรัฐบาลก็ไม่แน่ใจว่าจะมีความเป็นไปได้มากน้อยแค่ไหน แต่เป็นเพราะภาพยนตร์ที่เกี่ยวกับคดีนี้ซึ่งออกฉายเมื่อเร็วๆ นี้ (มีจางกึนซ็อกแสดงเป็นแพตเตอร์สัน ซึ่งในเรื่องได้เปลี่ยนชื่อเป็น “เพียร์สัน” คงทำให้อัยการอินจัดว่าหมอนี่ล่ะน่าจะเป็นฆาตกร สงสัยจะเล่นดีเกินไปแล้วล่ะ จางกึนซ็อก) ได้ปลุกกระแสความสนใจของผู้คนให้กับคดีที่ถูกลืมดังกล่าว ทางสำนักอัยการจึงตัดสินใจรื้อคดีนี้ขึ้นมาใหม่อีกครั้ง

สำหรับคดีนี้เกิดขึ้นเมื่อปี 1997 โดยมีผู้ต้องหา 2 คนคือ อาเธอร์ แพตเตอร์สัน กับเอ็ดเวิร์ด ลี โดยแพตเตอร์สันมีความผิดฐานครอบครองอาวุธที่ใช้ฆาตกรรม ส่วนลีมีความผิดฐานลงมือฆาตกรรม แต่เพราะความหละหลวมของทางการทำให้แพตเตอร์สันสามารถหนีออกจากประเทศเกาหลีไปได้ ส่วนลีถูกตัดสินจำคุกในศาลชั้นต้น แต่เมื่อถึงศาลอุทธรณ์เขากลับถูกปล่อยตัว (ในหนังแสดงให้เห็นว่าอาจมีการรับสินบน) ทำให้คดีนี้เป็นคดีที่ปิดไม่ลงมานานนับทศวรรษ

Finally, there’s an effort to reinvestigate the 12-year-old case of “Itaewon Murder”. I don’t know it can be possible or not, because it’s really long time. But at least this effort can restore the feeling of the victim’s family, I think. I feel really sad with the victim & his family after finished with this movie. That innocent boy had to die in vain. In this case, really grateful for the production team of this movie, to stir public attention in this case. I had to say “GREAT JOB!” for all of you. And of course, you too, Jang Keun-suk, to be a part of this project (and you’re really look like a murderer…haha).^^

[Source : www.koreatimes.co.kr /12-15-2009]
Prosecutors Trying to Extradite Prime Suspect Arthur Patterson

By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter

It's been classified as a cold case for a decade, but now, the so-called "Itaewon murder" is up for reinvestigation. Prosecutors' efforts to extradite the prime suspect in the 12-year-old case, Arthur Patterson, from the United States, will hinge on the cooperation of the U.S. State Department.

The prosecution has decided to reinvestigate the homicide in Itaewon, Seoul, involving two teenagers as suspects - a Korean-American and the child of an American soldier - back in 1997.

The former, Edward Lee, was acquitted by the Supreme Court, while the other suspect, Patterson, fled to the U.S.

The Ministry of Justice said Tuesday the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office recently asked it to coordinate with U.S. authorities to extradite Patterson.

Kim Hae-woong, spokesman for the ministry, confirmed the prosecution's request, but refused to elaborate. "It will take some time before making an official request to the U.S. government for extradition," the spokesman told The Korea Times.

Lee Heung-rak, a justice ministry official familiar with the matter, said: "Our role will be just translating the concerned documents into English and delivering them to our counterpart via the foreign ministry. Whether or not to return the suspect to Seoul will be determined by the U.S. government."

The official did not rule out the possibility that the American government will reject the request, citing "double jeopardy."

Patterson was found guilty in 1998 on charges of possessing an illegal weapon that was apparently used in the crime and destruction of evidence. Imprisoned for about eight months, he was released on Aug. 15, 1998 on a special pardon.

At the time of being released, Patterson was accused by the prosecution of killing Cho Joong-pil, aged 22.

However, he fled to the U.S. in 1999 after prosecutors failed to renew a travel ban imposed on him.

"To avoid double jeopardy and getting the extradition agreed to, the U.S. government will have to recognize the prior conviction as independent of the murder charge," a judge at the Seoul Central District Court said. "But if they regard the possession as an act in line with the murder and thus conclude the two constitute a single crime, the request could be rejected."

Though the case has, since Patterson's departure, remained pending with the prosecution, the crime has virtually vanished from people's memory.

A recent movie based on the tragic story brought public attention back to the unresolved crime, encouraging the prosecution to reopen the case.

On April 3, 1997, one of the two teenagers stabbed Cho, a college student, in a franchise restaurant in Itaewon.

Initially, Patterson was indicted for possessing the weapon and Lee for stabbing the Korean to death.

Upholding a lower court decision, an appellate court sentenced Lee to 20 years in prison in January 1998, but the Supreme Court ordered the appellate court to review the case, citing a lack of evidence. In respect to the ruling, the appellate court later acquitted Lee.

Ahead of that ruling, the prosecution indicted Patterson on the charge of homicide, but its carelessness in extending a travel ban imposed on him made it possible for him to flee to his home country.

The movie, which drew more than 300,000 viewers, also fueled a stereotype harbored by some Koreans that Americans related to U.S. troops in South Korea are not duly punished for crimes they commit on Korean territory.

This antagonism first erupted following the accidental deaths of two Korean girls - Shim Mi-sun and Shin Hyo-soon - in 2002 after they were struck by a U.S. armored vehicle.

pss@koreatimes.co.kr

`이태원 살인사건' 재수사

검찰이 진범을 가리지 못하고 미제로 남은 서울 `이태원 햄버거 가게 살인사건'을 12년 만에 재수사한다.

법무부는 서울중앙지검 외사부의 요청에 따라 유력 용의자로 의심됐던 아더 패터슨 씨에 대해 미국에 범죄인 인도를 청구할 예정이라고 15일 밝혔다.

1997년 4월 서울 용산구 이태원 햄버거가게 화장실에서 대학생 조모 (사망당시 23세)씨가 흉기에 찔려 숨진 뒤 현장에 있었던 패터슨 (당시 18세)씨와 에드워드 리 (당시 18세)씨가 용의선상에 올랐지만 살인죄로 기소된 리씨는 1999년 무죄가 확정됐다.

흉기 소지 등의 혐의로 기소된 패터슨 씨는 징역형을 선고받은 후 사면을 받고 같은 해 수사 검사가 출국정지 연장을 하지 않은 틈을 타 미국으로 출국했으며 법원은 피해자 조 씨의 유족들이 사건의 진상을 규명할 기회를 사실상 박탈당했다며 국가가 3천400만원을 주라고 판결하기도 했다.

이에 따라 이태원 살인사건은 진범을 잡지 못한 채 일단락돼 검찰의 재수사로 사건의 실체가 밝혀질 수 있을지 주목된다.

대법원은 패터슨씨가 진범일 가능성이 있다고 보고 검찰이 살인죄로 기소한 리씨에게 무죄를 선고했으며 유족들이 패터슨씨를 고소해 수사가 재개됐지만 그가 출국해버리는 바람에 사건은 서울중앙지검에 계류돼있었다.

살인죄의 공소시효는 15년으로 아직 3년이 남았으며 미국에서 패터슨씨가 체포되더라도 인신보호 재판을 청구할 수 있기 때문에 송환까지는 상당기간이 걸릴 것으로 전망된다.