ATLANTA, GEORGIA: In a horrifying turn of events, Mihee Lee, a mother of three suspects charged with the murder of a South Korean woman by 'Soldiers of Christ' cult members has been taken into custody in connection with the woman's death.
The 33-year-old victim Seehe Cho who weighed roughly 70 pounds was beaten and starved to death in Georgia, reports Law and Crime.
Her body was found in the trunk of a Jaguar sedan parked outside a popular South Korean spa Jeju Sauna on September 12, as per the news release issued by the Gwinnett County Police Department.
What are the charges against Mihee Lee?
On Wednesday, October 11, Lee was arrested on multiple charges including felony murder, tampering with evidence, concealing the death of another, false imprisonment, and false statements, according to court documents.
The victim's body was found two days after her death. Authorities stated that six people have been taken into custody and are charged with felony murder, tampering with evidence, concealing the death of another, and false imprisonment.
The investigation launched in August led to the arrest of six suspects including Juoonhyum Lee, 22, Hyunji Lee, 25, Joonho Lee, 26, Gawom Lee, 26, and Eric Hyun, 26.
One of the arrested suspects is a 15-year-old who has been charged as an adult, police said, according to CNN.
Police found incriminating evidence at a residence in Lawrenceville in the 2400 block of Stable Gate in which Lee was the "principal resident."
"That search warrant yielded substantial evidence to charge the individuals for the crime," said the police.
Police released photographs of the basement in September and the pictures appeared to show a storage room that had laundry and several other supplies arranged on shelves.
However, the room's carpet had large areas of blood, reported CNN.
Victim moved from South Korea to the US to join a religious organization
Gwinnett County Police said Cho was subjected to weeks of brutal "beatings and malnourishment," which was believed to be her cause of death, according to the coroner's office.
An official cause of death of the victim is still pending. Investigators believe the victim moved from South Korea to the US earlier this year.
"During the course of the investigation, it is believed that the basement (at the address) is where the crime took place," GCPD Cpl Juan Madiedo said in a press conference.
"Detectives believe that the victim was brought over from South Korea sometime in the summer under the guise of joining a religious organization. They called themselves ‘Soldiers of Christ,'" Madiedo added.
