Thought to Be a Thief, but Actually the Culprit in a 17-Year-Old Cold Case... Caught Through DNA Match

Court Sentences Defendant to Seven Years and Six Months in Prison

A man in his 50s who broke into a shop during the early morning hours, sexually assaulted the female owner, and stole valuables has been sentenced 17 years after the crime.

According to Yonhap News on June 21, the Gwangju District Court Criminal Division 11 (Presiding Judge Kim Songhyun) sentenced Mr. Jeong (51), who was indicted and detained on charges of aggravated robbery and rape, to seven years and six months in prison.

Mr. Jeong was put on trial for breaking into a store in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, at around 3 a.m. on April 21, 2009, sexually assaulting the female owner, and stealing 300,000 won in cash. After the crime, Mr. Jeong evaded the investigation and remained at large, but was later caught for repeated theft offenses and, in March 2016, received a final sentence of one year and six months in prison with a three-year suspended sentence.

The sexual assault case remained unsolved for a long period of time. However, during the process of comparing the suspect's DNA (genetic information) obtained from the 2009 crime scene with the newly registered DNA database of violent crime offenders, Mr. Jeong was identified as the suspect.

After issuing a wanted notice for Mr. Jeong, prosecutors tracked him down and arrested him in March of this year. It has been reported that during the trial, Mr. Jeong admitted to all the crimes.

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