The shocking reality of the criminals who committed brutal acts yet continued their brazen behavior was revealed in "Brave Detectives 4."

In the 29th episode aired on Nov. 11 on T-Cast E Channel, "Brave Detectives 4" (directed by Lee Ji-sun) featured Chief Inspector Shim Jae-yeol from the 5th criminal investigation team of the Pohang Northern Police Station, former Police Commissioner Yoon Wae-cheul from the Scientific Investigation Team (KCSI), and Chief Inspector Kim Jin-soo, who unfolded the cases they solved. Guesting in this episode was EXO's Xiumin, who joined from the previous broadcast.

The first case introduced that day began with an urgent report about a young woman found collapsed naked on a beach. The victim, discovered dead, still had her valuables, but her clothes and personal belongings were missing, raising suspicions. Due to the rain the day before, traces of the criminal remained on the sand, and tire marks were used to confirm the vehicle's path, shape, and thickness. Additionally, a male footprint was found at the scene. However, there were no CCTV cameras at the location, complicating the search for the perpetrator.

The victim was a 22-year-old university student who had gone to a club with her junior on the day of the incident. After drinking with two men, she got into one of their vehicles to head home. The junior was so intoxicated that they only vaguely remembered the men's appearances. The investigation team secured footage of a similar-looking man purchasing cigarettes at a convenience store through surrounding CCTV analysis and identified a suspect based on the cell tower information and tire marks from the location where the victim was. Ultimately, a suspicious 28-year-old man, a potential owner of a vehicle registered under a family member in their 20s, drew attention. On the day of the face-to-face investigation, he attempted to commit suicide and did not show up, and at his home, pants that matched those in the CCTV footage were found along with blood matching the victim's DNA in his vehicle.

The man claimed he killed her out of fear of being reported for attempting to have sexual relations and being accused of rape. For 80 days until his capture, he went to work and lived calmly, but during the trial, the claim of it being an impulsive act was accepted, resulting in a sentence of only 15 years, causing public outrage.

The next case introduced by KCSI began with a report from a daughter expressing concern that she could not contact her mother. The mother was found dead in the store, having suffered wounds to her chest and wrists, surrounded by a bloodied knife, an empty soju bottle, and a letter resembling a will. The will contained a message to her three children, along with a bank account password, stating that her assets were to be given to the youngest son, while asking the second daughter to be the guardian. However, the printed will was not in her handwriting, and discrepancies between the content and the actual situation of the mother raised suspicions.

The results from the scene investigation also amplified the doubts. There was hardly any blood on the floor in relation to the size of the wounds, and there were no knife marks on the clothing. The luminol test revealed extensive traces of blood removal, and the skirt the mother was wearing had no bloodstains, indicating further that the clothing had been changed after the incident.

The eldest daughter claimed, "The tone of my mother’s speech and the tone in the will are different, and the seal affixed is not my mother's." The youngest son also testified, "My mother was wearing jeans on the day of the incident," and jeans with pieces of blue tape stuck to the hem were found at the scene. The autopsy revealed the cause of death was a stab wound to the chest, and the wrist wounds had occurred post-mortem.

The key to the case was the second daughter's boyfriend. He was a divorced man with children who had a history of violence, and when the second daughter ended their relationship, he went to her mother's store. Most notably, the will contained praise for the boyfriend and urged for a quick marriage, along with a request for the second daughter to be the guardian while stating the assets were to be left to the youngest son. The fingerprints found on the will matched those of the apprehended boyfriend, who claimed he was angered after being ignored, believing he was the son-in-law of that household. He was able to obtain the password before the mother's death and left it in the will, and it was revealed he tampered with the seal and keys as he dreamed of a perfect crime. Ultimately, he was sentenced to life imprisonment and appealed for leniency, but it was denied.

"Brave Detectives 4" airs every Friday at 9:50 p.m. and is available on major OTT platforms including Netflix, Tving, and Wavve.

[Photo] E Channel

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