A man in his 50s, who killed five members of his family including his parents and wife, claimed he was in distress due to being sued by contract holders during a fraudulent apartment sale business, which left him with significant debt.

On the 16th, the Gyeonggi Yongin Western Police Station continued to investigate the motives behind the crimes of Mr. A, who was urgently arrested on charges of murder and homicide of his family.

In police questioning, Mr. A admitted to the allegations, stating, "I was sued for 'fraudulent sales' by the contract holders while running a business related to apartment sales, and as a result, I ended up with enormous debt and was subjected to civil lawsuits." He added, "I could not impose this debt on my family."

In fact, a complaint for fraud against Mr. A had been filed at the Gwangju Police Agency.

However, the investigation into the motive behind the crime relies solely on Mr. A's statements. The actual truth of the matter is expected to be revealed through further police investigations.

According to Mr. A's testimony, the stress and anxiety from lawsuits and debt were the reasons for murdering his parents and family. However, it appears unreasonable to accept this as a legitimate motive for the family killings, according to perspectives both inside and outside the police.

Additionally, there is no record of domestic violence or any other confirmed discord within the family.

The police plan to apply for an arrest warrant after investigating Mr. A's motivations and the circumstances before and after the incident.

Earlier, on the afternoon of the 14th, Mr. A was accused of administering sleeping pills to his family members—his elderly parents in their 80s, his wife in her 50s, and two daughters in their 10s to 20s—then strangling them to death in their apartment in Suji District, Yongin.

After the crime, Mr. A left a note indicating intentions to "kill them all, and then kill myself," before fleeing to a villa in Gwangju where he was later apprehended by police.

At the time of his arrest, Mr. A attempted to commit suicide through drug overdose and was in an unclear state of consciousness, making him unable to provide testimony. He was subsequently transferred to a nearby hospital for recovery and was urgently arrested and taken to the Yongin Western Police Station.

On the 16th, the Yongin Western Police Station announced that the National Institute of Scientific Investigation had provided a verbal opinion regarding the causes of death for the five deceased, stating, "It appears to be typical death by strangulation."

Image Source: An apartment in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, where a family was found dead / News1, materials provided for the understanding of the article / gettyimagesbank