Georgia religious group abused, starved woman to death, authorities say
Five adults and one juvenile were arrested in connection to the death of a woman who was found decomposed in the trunk of a car parked outside a popular Korean bathhouse and spa in Georgia, authorities said Thursday.
Gwinnett County Police Department officers responded to Jeju Sauna in Duluth, Georgia, late Tuesday night after receiving a 911 report of a deceased body in the trunk of a silver Jaguar parked outside the bathhouse. Police said the victim was identified as a South Korean woman who had recently moved to the United States to join a so-called religious organization.
Detectives believe Eric Hyun, 26, was the driver of the vehicle and had parked it outside the bathhouse earlier in the day, according to Cpl. Juan Madiedo. After parking the vehicle, Madiedo said Hyun called a family member to pick him up and take him to an Atlanta area hospital where he was treated for unrelated injuries.
"Eric then called or told that family member to retrieve an item from the vehicle and that's when the family member went back and discovered the body in the trunk," Madiedo said during a Thursday news conference.
Further investigation resulted in a search of a home associated with Hyun in Lawrenceville, an Atlanta suburb about 10 miles east of where the body was found. Madiedo said the search warrant "yielded substantial evidence" to arrest and charge six people in connection to the death.
Hyun; Gawom Lee, 26; Joonho Lee, 26; Juoonhyum Lee, 22; Hyunji Lee, 25; and a 15-year-old were all charged with felony murder, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence and concealing the death of another. Madiedo added that there is no indication of other victims and all suspects are in custody.
The incident is being investigated as a homicide. The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office, assisted with the investigation.
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Religious group members abused woman, starved her
The woman is believed to have been in her 20s to mid-30s, according to Madiedo. She had moved from South Korea to the United States over the summer to join a self-proclaimed religious organization.
The suspects referred to themselves as belong to “Soldiers of Christ" and had subjected the woman to beatings and malnourishment, Madiedo said. He added there are currently no signs or indications of sex trafficking in the investigation.
Police said the medical examiner's office believes malnourishment was a contributing factor to her death but the exact cause is still under investigation. The victim's body weighed about 70 pounds when authorities discovered her.
Authorities have not identified the woman but said the victim's family is from South Korea and have yet to be notified of the death.
Police: Woman was in trunk for days
The search of the Lawrenceville home led detectives to believe the basement of the home was where the crime took place. Five of the suspects are believed to be U.S. citizens while Gawom Lee holds a visiting visa, Madiedo said.
Three brothers, including the juvenile and two adult males, had resided at the home, according to Madiedo. One of the female suspects was another suspect's girlfriend.
Hyun had "some family ties" and had visited the home often, Madiedo said. He also lived at the home for a period of time.
Madiedo added that the victim "might have been deceased sometime in late August" and that she is believed to have been in the back of the vehicle for "a few days."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Woman found decomposed in trunk of a car parked near popular bathhouse
