Controversy grows over suspect of poisoning

Controversy is growing after a district court sentenced an 82-year-old woman to life for allegedly putting pesticide in a bottle of soda which killed two and injured four.

The Daegu District Court Friday convicted the woman, surnamed Park, on charges of murder.

“The local community has been shattered due to the defendant taking the lives of the victims,” a prosecutor said. "And Park has shown no signs of remorse about the injuries and deaths."

Park's family has vehemently protested the conviction, vowing to appeal the case.

Park is suspected of having put pesticide into a bottle of soft drink that six elderly women shared at a community center in the southeastern city of Sangju on July 14.

All six lost consciousness and were taken to the hospital where two of them died.

Police found an energy drink bottle containing pesticide at Park's home that matched the bottle cap they found at the community center.

In addition, the expiration date on the bottle was the same date on other bottles of the energy drink found at Park's home.

Park's lawyer raised the issue of whether the court is able to convict a suspect without direct evidence such as a confession or without the testimony of a witness.

Also, the lack of a clear explanation regarding the motive for the crime is a contentious issue.

Prosecutors said the poisoning was due to an argument that occurred the day before while the women were playing a card game. The court did not cite the motive in the ruling.

"Is Park the suspect because it seems unlikely that another person could be the suspect?" Park's lawyer said. "If the defendant is the suspect because of a biased investigation, then the prosecution should have had the defendant psychiatrically evaluated."