Daughter Suspected of Killing Mother
By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
Police investigating the death of a 67-year-old Korean woman in the Philippines have secured evidence that her daughter hired a killer to murder her wealthy mother.
A police officer at Seocho Police Station said Thursday that they had secured a voice recording containing a conversation about the death and money.
The woman, identified as Park, held assets apparently worth 20 billion won ($20 million), and was found dead after being shot at a remote area south of Manila on April 3. She had been shot in the face and head. Concluding that one of the bullets was shot to confirm the death, investigators suspected she was killed by a hired hit man.
The victim had been staying in the country with her daughter, 40-year-old Seo.
Police seized a conversation in English that was recorded on the cell phone of a local taxi driver, who guided Park and Seo during their stay. The one-minute-long conversation between a woman and a man said, ``Your brother's friend did a perfect job, she's gone,'' and ``So you can keep the money.''
Filipino police sent the copied recording to the Korean police, the officer said.
``The driver told the local police that the woman in the recording was Seo. He said he arranged a killer through his brother,'' the officer said.
Police have suspected the death was related to family disputes over Park's property. Park's will was changed in March and the beneficiary of her inheritage was changed from her brother and granddaughter to her two daughters.
Seo had her mother's body cremated in Manila two days after the death, not requesting an autopsy, saying the body would easily decay in the hot weather.
It was also found later that Seo exchanged 2 million won for pesos on the day of Park's death, and police suspected the money may have been given to the assassin. Police also confirmed that the daughter visited the Philippines alone for one day in mid-March.
Korean police are examining the voice recordings of Seo and other acquaintances of Park in order to match the voiceprints to those on the recording. They are also cooperating with Filipino police to find the alleged hit man.