'Soldiers of Christ': Prosecutors reveal new details about death of woman found in trunk of car
New details on case of body found in trunk
There are new developments in the very disturbing case of a young Korean woman who was tortured and starved by a religious group authorities identified as the Soldiers of Christ. Police arrested the mother of three of the suspects this morning and charged her with murder.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Prosecutors have released new details about the death of a South Korean woman whose body was found in the trunk of a car parked in a Gwinnett County shopping center.
On the night of Sept. 12, police responded to a 911 call about an odor coming from the trunk of a car found near Jeju Sauna. Inside the trunk, officers found the decaying body of 33-year-old Sehee Cho wrapped in a blanket.
Investigators say 26-year-old Eric Hyun was the one who left the vehicle outside the spa. According to authorities, Hyun called his adoptive father to pick him up and take him to a local hospital. While at the hospital, Hyun reportedly asked his father to retrieve a personal item from the silver sedan, leading to the discovery of Cho's body.
After interviewing Hyun at the hospital, authorities obtained a search warrant for a home on Stable Gate in unincorporated Lawrenceville. Detectives believe the crime occurred in the home's basement.
During Wednesday's court appearance, Hyun's attorney told the judge he was a victim just like Seehee Cho. He said his client suffered severe abuse in the same basement.
"He was beaten very badly with a whip, stripped naked, beaten about his genitals, and then they shot him with an airsoft gun in his arms and his back and his crotch. In addition, at some point during this they took a sanding block and sanded the skin off of his chest," attorney David Boyle revealed.
Boyle showed the judge gruesome pictures of the 26-year year old UGA grad actually being and tortured by the suspects. Boyle says his client escaped the Lee house with Ms. Cho's body in his trunk and called his relatives for help.
"This is just a con the Lee family to take advantage of naive people," Boyle affirmed.
Boyle says his client was forced to wire tens of thousands of dollars to Korea, maxed out his credit cards and used his credit to buy a house.
Along with Hyun, five others - Gawom Lee, 26; Joonho Lee, 26; Juoonhyum Lee, 22; Hyunji Lee, 25, and a 15-year-old - all face charges of felony murder, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence and concealing the death of another.
Body in trunk of car: Photos of where woman was held
Stunning new details are emerging tonight about a house of horrors in Gwinnett County. That's where police say a family tortured a woman to death. Five adults and one teen are behind bars after her body was found in the trunk of a car parked at a shopping center.
At a bond hearing for Joonho Lee on Wednesday morning, Gwinnett County Assistant District Attorney Han Chung told the court that Cho had been dead for nearly a month before her body was discovered. She weighed around 70 pounds.
Police believe Cho had come to the metro Atlanta area to join a religious organization run by Joonho Lee that called itself "Soldiers of Christ."
In interviews, officials say Joonho Lee told them that Cho was undergoing an "admission process" in the group that he had formed, and she had been voluntarily going through "10 days of training." He claimed she was stealing things, "violating the rules," and attacked him with a weapon.
The juvenile suspect told police that Cho had wanted to leave the program but "there was no quitting the program."
After the interviews, police received a search warrant for the defendants' phones. There, they say they found messages showing Joonho Lee and Hyunji Lee discussing Cho, who they believe was given the nickname "Number Five." In the messages, Joonho Lee said that Cho tried to attack him and tried to escape and that her training was "finished."
After Cho's death, Joonho and Hyunji Lee both reportedly discussed adding another Korean woman who was a student at Georgia Tech to their group after he talked with the unnamed woman about transferring colleges.
Chung said the messages referred to Hyun as "Number Four" and said that Joonho and Hyujin talked about how the group beat Hyun's genitals "to a pulp" to the point where he started bleeding.
Gwinnett County Police say this was a 'house of horrors'
In Gwinnett County, police say a family tortured a woman to death five adults and one teen are now behind bars after her body was found in the trunk of a car outside a Korean spa. Next-door neighbors are speaking for the first time about their encounters with the family.
Videos from Hyunji Lee and the minor's phone reportedly showed Joonho Lee beating Hyun's genitals and face with what appears a leather belt "with all his might" while Hyun was naked and held to the ground.
While the defense argued that Joonho Lee had a perfectly clean record and was just a student at Emory University, a Gwinnett County judge ruled that he may try to influence witnesses and would not be granted bond.
Hyun was granted a $100,000 bond and must wear an ankle monitor. He is to have no contact with the Lee family or the Soldiers of Christ and must live with his parents in Atlanta.
The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is urged to contact GCPD detectives at 770-513-5300. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or www.stopcrimeATL.com, with the potential for a cash reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case.