Cops face questions after failure to stop murder suspect as he wandered streets naked and covered in blood
CCTV shows officers pass a naked, blood-covered man later arrested in a fatal Gyeongsan stabbing, raising concerns over missed intervention and evidence handling.
A man who allegedly killed a friend passes by a police car in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang, on July 4.JOONGANG ILBO
Police officers responding to a report of a naked, blood-covered man in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang, reportedlypassed by the suspect in a fatal stabbing but failed to stop or identify him, allowing him to return to the crime scene before he was later arrested.
CCTV footage obtained by the JoongAng Ilbo shows thesuspect wandering naked near Hayang-eup in Gyeongsan at about 4:20 a.m. on July 4 after allegedly killing a friend.
The footage shows the suspect, whose body was covered in blood and tattoos, coming within about 2 meters (6.6 feet) of a patrol car. Officers did not get out to check his condition or verify his identity. Instead, the suspect waved at the patrol car and walked away. The encounter lasted more than 25 seconds, according to the footage.
The patrol officers had been dispatched after receiving a report at about 4:18 a.m. that "a naked man covered in blood was wandering around," police said.
"The responding officers encountered the suspect, but he fled," a police official said. "They then followed bloody footprints in an attempt to track him. At that point, they did not know he had committed murder."
Police said the suspect had earlier beaten and fatally stabbed hisfriend while they were drinking together at a home in Hayang-eup, Gyeongsan.
After the attack, the suspect allegedly entered a convenience store naked and covered in blood, drank milk and wandered through nearby streets.
The suspect wanders through nearby streets naked, covered in blood in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang, on July 4.JOONGANG ILBO
Authorities also said the suspect took the victim's phone while the victim was calling another friend for help and said, "Aren’t I cute?"
Since officers failed to identify him during the initial encounter, the suspect was able to return to the crime scene.
The suspect returned to the house before police arrived, collected a luxury watch and 20 million won ($13,300)in cash and asked a friend to “give these to my mother,” according to the friend who arrived after receiving the victim's call.
The suspect lay down beside the victim's body in a pool of blood, disturbing the crime scene where two weaponsbelieved to have been used in the attack remained.
The suspect was later arrested by officers who arrived at the scene. The apparent failure to arrest him earlier has raised questions over whether the delay contributed to the disturbance of evidence.
Police said the suspect tested negative in a rapid drug test and that investigators found no evidence of drug use at the scene.
Photos and personal information believed to belong to the suspect have already circulated on social media after they were posted by an account that publishes information on violent crime suspects.
The suspect has reportedly refused to explain his motive.
Gyeongsan Police Station arrested him on murder charges on Tuesday. “We decided to disclose the suspect’s identity on Thursday, following a review by the Identity Disclosure Deliberation Committee,” a police official said.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
