DAEJEON — A woman who had reported being stalked to police was killed by the man she had named as her stalker.
The Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency said on the 25th that it had arrested a man in his 40s, identified only as A, on a murder charge and was questioning him. A is accused of killing a woman in her 40s, identified only as B, at her home in Daejeon's Jung District and then fleeing.
Police opened an investigation after receiving a report from B's family at about 2 p.m. on the 24th that she had been found dead. They arrested A in Gangneung, Gangwon State, at about 7:40 a.m. on the 25th, roughly 17 hours and 40 minutes later.
B had reported to police on Oct. 10 last year that A was stalking her, according to police. Officers then imposed emergency protective orders barring A from approaching her and from contacting her by phone or text message. She was also given a smartwatch for emergency alerts.
About 20 days later, however, B visited the police station and returned the smartwatch, saying she had reconciled with A. Police closed the case without referring it to prosecutors because she said she did not want him punished.
On Dec. 27 of the same year, B called the emergency line to report another altercation with A, but police concluded there were no grounds for a criminal case, citing the absence of any harm, and closed the matter at the scene.
B was killed by A 10 months after that final report. After the killing, A changed taxis several times and fled through Incheon and other areas to Gangneung, where he was arrested, police said. He is refusing to make any statement, according to police.
Police said they would question A about his motive and the circumstances of the killing.