Police estimated that Jang Mi-ran (37), a long-term missing person in Jeju who was found dead, left her long-term lodging and died in the early hours of the following day. Based on the scene examination and autopsy results, police said they see little possibility of homicide.
According to police and others on the 26th, the Jeju Provincial Police Agency said in a background briefing with the press corps that day that "after Jang left the long-term lodging at about 10:15 p.m. on May 12, there were no changes in the phone's location data or additional call details until the phone was powered off."
Taking this into account, police said they believe "it is highly likely that Jang died around the early hours as the 12th turned into the 13th."
No suicide note from Jang was found. It was confirmed that Jang had not been receiving treatment for depression or taking medication. However, police said, "Judging from the position and location of the body at the time of discovery and the medical examiner's verbal opinion, we see a low possibility of a crime."
Police said Jang's phone and other items were still in her pocket, and the headband, gold bracelet, ring, and slippers she wore when she went missing were also left at the place of death.
Police believe the cord found around Jang's neck was something she took from the lodging. Police said, "The cord was tied to a branch that extended from the stem, not the thick trunk, of a palm tree, and we are conducting a detailed examination of the knot and the height where it was tied."
Police said they are keeping all possibilities open as they investigate. They plan to continue probing the exact cause and circumstances of death through phone forensics and other methods.
Bu, a senior police officer (age 34) at the Jeju Western Police Station who handled Jang's missing-person report, is still said to be maintaining the claim that "contact was made with the missing person."
Bu is accused of falsely closing the case at the time of Jang's missing-person report in May by saying "contact was made," and deleting related materials from the management list of the missing-person profiling system. Bu is also suspected of similarly closing as false the missing-person case of a man in his 60s, identified as A, which was filed on the 2nd of last month.
While searching for Jang, police identified Bu's wrongdoing, conducted a pre-booking investigation on the 11th, and formally booked Bu on the 14th. The Jeju District Court issued an arrest warrant for Bu the previous day.