Man Imprisons Wife, Lets Her Rot Alive With Maggots Infesting Her Body

He claimed to be unaware of her condition.
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Serah S. Cherrie
Serah S. Cherrie

Content Warning

This article includes descriptions of graphic content that may disturb some readers.

On June 3, KST, JTBC reported a horrific crime case where a South Korean man was indicted for neglecting his wife to the point where she developed maggots on her entire body while alive.

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The victim with her husband and their pet dog | JTBC

According to the report, the man, referred to as “A,” is a non-commissioned officer in his 30s in the army. On November 17 last year, he called emergency services, reporting that his wife was confused and semi-conscious. However, upon arriving at the scene, paramedics were greeted by a horrific sight. They discovered the wife, referred to as “B,” sitting in a chair, covered with a blanket. However, her entire body was soiled with filth. She was rushed to a hospital, but unfortunately, passed away the very next day due to sepsis.

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The chair where the victim was found was rotting

One of these paramedics had previously described the scene in an interview with SBS‘s Unanswered Questions, stating that when they found the wife, her body was completely contaminated with feces and “tens of thousands of maggots” were crawling all over her. An emergency room doctor who also testified as a witness recounted that no matter how many times they flushed her wounds with saline, maggots kept emerging. They were forced to bandage some of her wounds as is because it was impossible to clean everything.

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“A” claimed that he was completely unaware of the putrid odor of his wife’s rotting body for several months due to the air fresheners used in their home. Doctors, however, refuted this claim, stating that when “B” was brought into the treatment room, the entire space was filled with the stench of a decomposing corpse.

A forensic pathologist from the National Forensic Service also testified in court, stating that, in his 15-year career, this was only the second case he had encountered in which maggots had infested a living body, highlighting the rarity of the case. The autopsy results also confirmed that the victim had sustained multiple rib fractures in the past. While the agency acknowledged that those could be from CPR attempts, it also didn’t rule out the possibility of physical assault. Multiple bruises were also discovered on the victim’s arms and chest.

The bereaved family suspects that “B” was subjected to physical assault and abuse. The autopsy revealed that there were 7.4 liters of fluid accumulated in her abdomen, and her heart weighed 620 grams— more than double the normal weight. Necrotic lesions, characterized by decaying skin tissue, were also identified in various parts of her body, including her neck, flanks, and tailbone. The official cause of death was determined to be “sepsis resulting from infection.”

After the victim’s death, the subsequent investigation found that her husband had neglected her to the point where she was unable to perform basic bodily functions, ultimately resulting in her death. The victim was reportedly in a semi-comatose state for a long time, thus becoming somewhat numb to the pain of rotting alive.

Indicted on charges of murder, “A” denied all wrongdoing, claiming that he was unaware of his wife’s condition and that she herself had refused treatment. However, the court rejected his defense. During the trial, it was also revealed that he was in severe debt, and the prosecution suspected a potential link between the debt and the alleged abuse of the victim.

The bereaved family members, outraged by the A’s lack of remorse and consistently expressionless demeanor, ended up lunging at him in the courtroom but were restrained.

The military court presiding over the case ruled that “A” could have foreseen that his neglect would have eventually led to the victim’s death, and hence there was an “intent to kill” in this case. “A” was subsequently sentenced to 30 years in prison, which the bereaved family members found to be too lenient. The military prosecution reportedly intends to appeal the ruling, arguing that “A” deserved a more severe punishment.

The story has gone viral on X (formerly Twitter), sparking outrage among netizens worldwide.

Source: News1
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