"Tens of Thousands of Maggots on Her Body"... Army Non-Commissioned Officer Sentenced to 30 Years for Neglecting Wife

Expressionless Throughout the Trial, Family Members Attempted to Confront Defendant
Military Prosecution: "A Harsher Sentence Is Needed"...Plans to Appeal

A military court has handed down a heavy sentence to an Army non-commissioned officer husband who was accused of neglecting his wife to the point where maggots infested her entire body, resulting in her death.

The wedding photo of a 30-year-old Army non-commissioned officer who neglected his wife to the extent that maggots infested her entire body, leading to her death (left), and the contaminated sofa the victim used until her death. Screenshot from SBS "Unanswered Questions."

According to JTBC on June 3, the military court sentenced Army non-commissioned officer A, who was indicted and detained on murder charges for neglecting his wife in her 30s to the extent that she developed bedsores and maggots, causing her death, to 30 years in prison the previous day.

On November 17 last year, A called emergency services, reporting that "my wife is in a confused state of consciousness." Emergency responders found B, covered with a blanket and seated on a chair inside the house, her entire body contaminated with filth. Although the emergency team rushed B to the hospital, she went into cardiac arrest during transportation and died of sepsis the next day.

A 119 emergency responder who arrived at the scene told SBS "Unanswered Questions" during an interview, "Her entire body was contaminated with feces, and tens of thousands of maggots were spread all over her body," describing the situation at the time.

An emergency room doctor who testified as a witness in court recalled, "No matter how much I tried to clean her with saline, maggots kept coming out," adding, "It was impossible to clean everything, so I had to wrap the wounds with bandages on the spot."

Regarding A's claim that he was unable to detect the smell of his wife's decaying body for several months due to the presence of air fresheners, the doctor countered, "The treatment room was filled with the smell of a rotting corpse," adding, "The odor clung to her clothes and entire body."

The forensic pathologist from the National Forensic Service testified, "In 15 years of conducting autopsies, I've only seen maggots come out of a living person twice," adding that one of those cases was this incident.

A denied the charges, insisting he was unaware of his wife's critical condition and that she did not wish to receive treatment, but the court did not accept his claims.

During the trial, bereaved family members, enraged by A's expressionless demeanor, attempted to rush toward him but were restrained. The family stated, "We felt so wronged because he never once showed any sign of remorse or regret, so we couldn't help but attempt to confront him."

The military court in charge of the first trial stated, "It was fully foreseeable that the victim could die from prolonged neglect," and concluded, "There was intent to kill." The court also criticized A's attitude, saying, "He continues to make implausible excuses and shows no remorse."

The military prosecutor's office announced its intention to appeal, stating, "A harsher sentence should have been imposed."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.