Father of five falls to death in 'rope cutting' murder
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By Lee Han-soo
Police have caught a man who allegedly cut a painter’s safety rope in a dispute over noisy music, causing the worker to plunge to his death from a 15-story building.
The painter, 46, the father of five children, fell 40 meters on June 8. Police have sought a warrant to arrest the suspect -- a resident of the building in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province -- on a murder charge.
The tragic incident took place at 8:10 a.m. on June 8, according to police. The painter was listening to music on his cell phone while working on the building’s exterior.
The “noisy” music provoked the resident, who was drunk after failing to get a job, police said. The resident complained to the painter but was ignored. The resident then ran up to the roof and cut the painter’s safety rope.
“I cut the rope in a fit of anger,” the resident, surnamed Seo, reportedly said.
Seo initially denied cutting the rope, but admitted it after police found evidence. According to police, Seo had a history of mental illness, for which he was once hospitalized.