In a stunning breakthrough, South Korean police have solved a shocking cold case from 2008, arresting a man in his 50s for murdering his live-in girlfriend and encasing her body in cement on their apartment balcony. According to Korea Times, the gruesome crime went undetected for years, filed as a missing person case until a chance discovery last month. A construction worker repairing a leak on the rooftop balcony stumbled upon a travel suitcase encased in concrete and bricks, containing the partially preserved remains of the victim, identified as B.

Initial investigations in 2011 suspected the boyfriend identified as A, but lack of evidence and leads led to a dead end. However, advances in forensic technology and a thorough re-examination of the case led police to re-question the boyfriend. 

During interrogation, the boyfriend confessed to killing his girlfriend –who was in her 30s at the time–during a heated argument over a romantic issue in October 2008. He admitted to striking her on the head and face with a blunt object. He then placed her dead body into a suitcase, which he buried under a layer of bricks and cement on his balcony.

Fingerprint analysis identified the partially preserved body, and an autopsy revealed blunt force trauma to the head as the cause of death. Police promptly identified the boyfriend as the prime suspect and arrested him on September 19 in Yangsan.

Additional revelations exposed how the crime remained hidden for so long. The boyfriend deceived B’s family and the landlord, claiming she had left after an argument. Notably, her family had lost contact with her and were misled about her whereabouts. When they travelled to Geoje in search of their daughter, they were informed by Mr A that the couple had separated, and B had departed the city.

He continued occupying the apartment until 2017 when he was imprisoned for drug charges. The landlord, unaware of the gruesome secret, used the room as storage space, leaving the concrete-encased body undisturbed. 

The boyfriend faces charges related to his drug use, as the statute of limitations for concealing a corpse has expired. Prosecutors will review the case once the investigation is complete.