Suspect Linked to Missing Case Dies
By Na Jeong-ju, Kim Rahn
Staff Reporters
A retired pro-baseball player who had been wanted by police for his involvement in a missing family case was found dead, Monday, police said.
Lee Ho-seong, a former slugger of the now-defunct Haitai Tigers, is believed to have committed suicide as police zeroed in on him. He was the key suspect in the disappearance of a 45-year-old woman and her three daughters in Seoul.
His body was found in the Han River in Seoul by water skiers around 3 p.m.
``Lee's body was floating in the water. No injuries were found on his body,'' a police spokesman said, pointing to the possibility of suicide. Investigators took fingerprints from the body and confirmed they matched Lee's. Lee left no will, the spokesman said.
Police launched an extensive manhunt after finding clues showing he might have murdered the woman, identified by her surname, Kim, and her three daughters, and disposed of their bodies.
They obtained a CCTV video showing Lee carrying large travel bags in and out of Kim's apartment in Seoul on the evening of Feb. 18, when Kim was reported missing by her brother.
Police said they are still investigating whether the missing women are alive, or if dead, where their bodies are.
Lee had dated with Kim and knew her daughters, they said.
Days after officers began searching for Lee, he called his brother using his cell phone, but didn't mention anything about the case. Cell phones owned by the daughters were turned on and off a few times at different locations, but there were no conversations, according to the police.