Paju cafe frozen warehouse murder investigation

Police in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, are investigating the murder of a woman in her 60s after her body was found in a cafe's frozen warehouse. The suspect, a man in his 30s who operates the cafe, has been arrested on murder and fraud charges.

New details suggest the crime may have been highly premeditated. Investigators believe the suspect installed the freezer container specifically for the act. To avoid detection, the suspect reportedly instructed the victim to leave her phone in a vehicle to prevent location tracking. Additionally, the suspect had previously instructed employees not to work on the day of the incident, and the cafe's CCTV was non-functional.

The victim is believed to have been lured to the -25 degree Celsius warehouse to verify the authenticity of counterfeit gift certificates. Approximately 50 billion won worth of these certificates, which were marked ‘for filming purposes’, were discovered inside the warehouse.

The suspect faces charges of ‘luring murder’, forgery, and the use of forged securities. While the suspect's identity has circulated on social media, the Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency has not officially disclosed his name as the investigation into his motives and potential accomplices continues. Authorities intend to transfer the case to prosecutors by January 14.