hankyoreh

” a film about a murder case set in Itaewon

Prosecutors have reopened their investigation into the “Itaewon Murder Case” also referred to as the “Burger King Murder” of 1997.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutor‘s Office Department of Foreign Affairs has asked the U.S. Justice Department to extradite Arthur Patterson, age 32 and the prime suspect in the murder case. The Justice Ministry also said on Tuesday “We will ask U.S. government to extradite Patterson according to the request of prosecutors.”

On April 3 in 1997, a then-university student 23-years old with the surname of Cho was killed in a stabbing in the restroom of a Burger King in Itaewon. At the time, there were two suspects, including Arthur Patterson and his friend Edward Lee who followed Cho into the restroom. The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command named Patterson as its prime suspect while South Korean prosecutors indicted Edward Lee due to lie detector results and on the basis of an expert opinion by a forensic doctor. Prosecutors charged Patterson with the possession of weapon.

Seoul’s High Court found Lee guilty and sentenced him to twenty years in prison, however, the Supreme Court reversed the verdict and found him innocent because it could not find credibility in Patterson’s statement. Since Patterson returned to the U.S. after being released by South Korean authorities, prosecutors have been unable to continue with their investigation.

Some speculate the release of the film about the murder case, “Where the Truth Lies,” has fueled public pressure on prosecutors to re-open the case and formally inform U.S. authorities of their desire to further question Patterson.

Meanwhile, many worry that there are obstacles facing the investigation as the statute of limitations is three years, and extradition might take up to a year alone following a trial in the U.S.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]