6 arrested in grisly death of female found in car trunk in Gwinnett County

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA— Detectives have arrested five adults and one juvenile in connection with the death of a female they believe was subjected to beatings and malnourishment for weeks.

Detectives charged the following suspects with Felony Murder, False Imprisonment, Tampering with Evidence, and Concealing the Death of Another:

• Eric Hyun (age 26, Suwanee)
• Gawom Lee (age 26, Lawrenceville)
• Joonho Lee (age 26, Lawrenceville)
• Juoonhyum Lee (age 22, Lawrenceville)
• Hyunji Lee (age 25, Lawrenceville)
• Junyeoug Lee (age 15, Lawrenceville)

Detectives believe Eric Hyun was the driver of the silver passenger car that contained the body of the victim in the trunk. After Hyun parked the vehicle at 3555 Gwinnett Place Drive early Sept. 12, he called a family member to pick him up. The family member drove Eric to an Atlanta area hospital due to unrelated injuries. While at the hospital, Eric asked the family member to retrieve a personal item for him from within the vehicle. When the family member arrived at 3555 Gwinnett Place Drive to retrieve the item for Eric, he discovered what appeared to be a deceased body in the trunk. The family member called 911 on the evening of Sept. 12.

The investigation that followed resulted in the execution of a search warrant at 2415 Stable Gate in unincorporated Lawrenceville, a location associated with Eric. Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators, processed evidence found at this location. Detectives believe the basement of this home was where the crime took place.

Detectives believe the victim moved to the United States from South Korea sometime this   for the purpose of joining a religious organization. The accused individuals referred to themselves as belonging to “Soldiers of Christ.”

The victim was apparently subjected to beatings and malnourishment for weeks. The victim’s body weighed approximately 70 pounds when discovered by detectives.

The Medical Examiner’s Office believes malnourishment could be a contributing factor to her death, authorities stated. The exact cause of death is still under investigation.

The victim’s family is from South Korea, and death notifications have not yet been made. Detectives believe all suspects are currently in custody, and there are no outstanding individuals.

The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office, assisted with this investigation.

Photos provided by Gwinnett County Police Department