Georgia authorities have arrested five adults and a teenager after a body was found in the trunk of a car outside a Korean spa in Gwinnett County.
Gwinnett County police said a 911 caller reported a possible body in a vehicle near the Jeju Sauna on Gwinnett Place Drive in unincorporated Duluth around 10:50 p.m. on Sept. 12. When police arrived at the scene, they actually found the body of a woman in the trunk of a silver Jaguar sedan.
On Thursday, the department identified the suspects as Lawrenceville residents: Joonhyun Lee, 22; Joonho Lee, 26; Hyunji Lee, 25; Gawon Lee, 26; Junyeoug Lee, 15; and Suwanee resident Eric Hyun, 26.
All six are charged with aggravated murder, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence and concealing a death.
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(L-R): Gawon Lee, Hyunji Lee, Joonho Lee, Joonhyun Lee and Eric Hyun are the five adults charged after a female body was found in the trunk of a car in Gwinnett County, Georgia. (Gwinnett County Police Department/Facebook)
During a news conference Thursday, Gwinnett police said the female victim is from South Korea and came to the Atlanta area this summer to join Soldiers of Christ, a religious organization to which the suspects allegedly belong.
Her identity has not been released because police have not yet contacted her family in South Korea.
Although her exact cause of death has not yet been determined, police believe malnutrition may have been a factor, according to the coroner’s office. Investigators believe the victim, whose body weighed about 70 pounds when discovered, was repeatedly beaten and starved to death during his captivity.
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The body of a South Korean woman was found in the trunk of a car outside the Jeju Sauna in Georgia. Police confirmed that the crime was in no way related to the spa. (Gwinnett County Police Department/Facebook)
Gwinnett police believe Hyun was the driver of the Jaguar and reported that shortly after parking the vehicle, he called a family member to pick him up from the location. According to police, Hyun was apprehended and taken to the hospital with unrelated injuries.
While he was at the hospital, police said Hyun asked the family member to get a personal item from the car for him. When that family member reached the car, 911 was called to report what appeared to be a body in the trunk.
A search warrant was executed at a residence associated with Hyun at Stable Gate in unincorporated Lawrenceville. At the home, detectives and crime scene investigators collected evidence that led them to believe the crime occurred in the basement, police said.
Gwinnett County police said evidence collected at a home in unincorporated Lawrenceville suggests the crime occurred in the basement. (Gwinnett County Police Department/Facebook)
A Jeju Sauna owner told FOX 5 Atlanta that surveillance video shows a man pulling into the spa’s parking lot in a silver Jaguar next to a Mercedes. The man can allegedly be seen looking into the trunk of the Jaguar before getting into the Mercedes and driving away.
The owner said the video also shows the Mercedes returning to the car later that night, with police following shortly after.
FOX 5 shared a statement from the popular sauna that reads:
“We would like to address a recent incident in our parking lot. We would like to assure our valued customers that this incident had absolutely nothing to do with our business operations and was confined solely to the parking area.”
“The safety and well-being of our customers is always our top priority. We are cooperating fully with local law enforcement who are currently investigating the case. We are confident they will quickly bring those responsible to justice.”
“We understand that incidents such as this can cause concern among our loyal customers and we would like to emphasize that this was an isolated incident and does not reflect the overall safety of our premises. We are grateful for our security officers who patrol in and around our parking lot to provide a safe environment for everyone.
“We encourage our customers to continue to enjoy the wide range of services and amenities we offer, including our restorative saunas, therapeutic baths and cultural experiences. We remain committed to maintaining the high standards of cleanliness, hospitality and relaxation that our customers have come to expect from us.
“We would like to thank our valued customers for their continued support and trust in Jeju Sauna.”
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Gwinnett police confirmed that the sauna did not appear to be related to the crime.
Further information on the case can be directed to Gwinnett County police detectives at 770-513-5300. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477). A cash reward can be offered there for information that leads to an arrest and indictment.
