Paju freezer killing: suspect had W1b debt, W50b in fake vouchers

A cafe owner in his 30s is accused of causing the death of a woman inside a freezer at his cafe in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. Investigators found that he owed more than 1 billion won ($747,000) in debt.

According to Yonhap Thursday, the suspect, identified only as A, learned about a scheme known as "gift certificate cashing" through an acquaintance. In July, he had a company in Seoul print 50 billion won worth of gift certificates at face value. Last month, he installed a roughly 30-square-meter freezer in the front yard of his cafe and stored the certificates inside.

Gift certificate cashing involves buying and selling large quantities of gift certificates to convert them into cash or launder money. The scheme is typically carried out covertly in cash through multiple layers of brokers. Investigators believe A intended to sell the certificates he had prepared to a buyer in order to obtain a large sum of cash at once.

However, the certificates A prepared were marked "for filming use," meaning the forgery would likely have been discovered quickly even if the deal had gone through. Investigators have so far found no indication that A prepared to flee or go into hiding after the crime.

Investigators found that A asked the printing company to make the certificates resemble department store gift certificates, telling them they would be used for a film shoot. The back of the 500,000-won certificates carried the words "for filming use," but the phrase was hidden under a paper band.

The victim, identified only as B, reportedly became involved in the deal through multiple layers of brokers. Investigators have so far determined that her role was to appraise the certificates. Police booked a man identified as C, who brought B to the cafe, on charges of forging securities.

Investigators found that A had B leave her phone in the vehicle before the crime. Afterward, he reportedly turned off her phone and kept it separately.

Police are examining whether A planned from the outset to cut off B's contact with the outside world, along with other signs of premeditation and concealment.

Investigators found that A gave police false information about B's whereabouts twice during a missing person investigation. According to the Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency, A spoke with an investigator at around 2:40 a.m. and 3:46 a.m. on Friday. When asked about B's whereabouts, he said she had already left after they met.

A reportedly claims he acted impulsively after B realized the certificates were fake. However, police believe there was some degree of intent. They cite the fact that A repeatedly entered and left the cafe after confining B. He also asked an AI chatbot what would happen if a person were put inside a freezer.

A has reportedly changed his account of his motive and other details multiple times since immediately after the crime.

Police plan to focus their investigation on C — a broker and acquaintance who drove B from Seoul to Paju — and other related individuals. They aim to determine whether these individuals were accomplices in the killing or in the gift certificate scheme.

A faces charges of murder after luring the victim, along with forging and using securities. Police are set to transfer him to prosecutors on Monday.