Confessed murder suspect freed after DNA testing

NAJU, South Korea, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- A murder suspect who initially confessed to
the crime was freed five days after being arrested as his DNA did not match
evidence collected from the crime scene, police officials said Thursday.
According to Naju police in South Jeolla Province, investigators arrested a
66-year-old man early last week as a key suspect in the beating death of an
88-year-old woman after a failed rape attempt.
The man was arrested soon after his hat was found in the victim's house.
The suspect quickly confessed to the killing but recanted a day later, claiming
to have been too drunk to remember.
A subsequent DNA test comparing the suspect with DNA found on cigarette butts
from the crime scene did not match, and the man was released, police said.
The suspect was quoted as saying that he made a false confession because he was
afraid of being beaten by police if he denied the charges.
"He not only confessed his crime at the scene of the murder, but also in front of
his family, lawyers and judges. This is hard to understand," a police officer
said.
Investigators caught another suspect on Tuesday whose DNA matches those on the
cigarette butt, but he is denying the charges, police said.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
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