Woman Found Dead In Trunk In Duluth Was Burned, Wrapped In Blanket

DULUTH, GA — The body of a starved and beaten woman was burned and wrapped in a blanket, then put into the trunk of a car and left behind a Gwinnett Place Drive sauna, warrants released Friday said.

The six people facing murder charges in connection with her killing — including a 15-year-old —now face gang charges, police said Friday.

Police identified those charged as Eric Hyun, 26; Joonhyum Lee, 22; Joonho Lee, 26; Hyunji Lee, 25; Gawom Lee, 26; and the 15-year-old juvenile. Hyun is from Suwanee and the others were all from Lawrenceville.

Three of the defendants are brothers, and Hyunji Lee is the girlfriend of one of the other defendants, police said, adding that the group calls themselves "Soldiers of Christ."

They were charged on suspicion of false imprisonment, felony murder, tampering with evidence and concealing the death of another.

The woman's body was found Tuesday, but could have been in the trunk days before being found, Gwinnett County police said at a Thursday news conference. Police said the woman, believed to be in her 20s to mid-30s, could have died sometime in late August.

The woman has not yet been identified, pending next-of-kin notification. Her family lives in South Korea, police said.

During the summer, the woman relocated to the U.S. from South Korea to join a religious organization, police said. She had been beaten and was malnourished for weeks. She weighed about 70 pounds when detectives found her, police said.

Police said her body was discovered by Hyun's family member.

Hyun was accused of driving a silver car with the woman's body in the trunk early Tuesday and parking it at Gwinnett Place Drive. He had called a family member to pick him up to take him to an Atlanta hospital for unrelated injuries, police said.

While at the hospital, police said Hyun asked the family member to retrieve an item from the car; and when the family member arrived at the car, he saw what appeared to be a body in the trunk. The family member then called 911 Tuesday evening.

Police then searched a home on the 2400 block of Stable Gate in Lawrenceville, believed to be associated with Hyun, police said. The home is where police said they believe the crime took place.

The Medical Examiner’s Office believes malnourishment could be a contributing factor to the woman's death. The exact cause of death is still being investigated, police said.