A 26-year-old Suwanee man is facing charges related to a homicide investigation conducted by the Gwinnett County Police Department.
About 10:50 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12, officers responded to 3555 Gwinnett Place Drive in unincorporated Duluth in reference to a suspicious activity. A person called 911 and advised he thought a dead body was inside a vehicle at the location. Officers who arrived on scene were able to confirm the body of a female victim was inside the trunk. Homicide detectives, crime scene investigators and personnel with the Medical Examiner’s Office were dispatched to the scene. The 911 caller was a relative of the suspect, Eric Hyun of Suwanee, who detectives believe was the driver of the passenger car containing the body. During the investigation, a search warrant was executed at 2415 Stable Gate in unincorporated Lawrenceville, a location associated with Hyun. Detectives and crime scene investigators processed evidence at that scene and believe the homicide took place in the basement of the home.
Hyun is facing charges of felony murder, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence and concealing the death of another, alongside five additional suspects — 26-year-old Gawom Lee, 26-year-old Joonho Lee, 22-year-old Juoonhyum Lee, 25-year-old Hyunji Lee and a juvenile suspect, all of Lawrenceville. All six suspects have been arrested.
Detectives believe the victim moved to the United States from South Korea this summer to join a religious organization. The suspects accused in the homicide referred to themselves as belonging to “Soldiers of Christ.” Investigators said the victim was subjected to beatings and malnourishment for weeks, and she weighed approximately 70 pounds when her body was discovered. The Medical Examiner’s Office believes malnourishment could be a contributing factor to her death, and the exact cause of death is under investigation.
