Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Killing Stepdaughter

A man in his 50s, identified as Mr. A, has been definitively sentenced to 20 years in prison for fatally stabbing his stepdaughter in a home in Wansan-gu, Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, in August 2021. Mr. A committed the crime during an argument with his stepdaughter after losing an divorce lawsuit and visiting his ex-wife's home.

On the day of the incident, around 10:45 AM, Mr. A visited his ex-wife's home to collect his belongings. His ex-wife was in the process of moving, and his stepdaughter had come to her mother's house to gather appliances. While arguing with his stepdaughter about a window screen, Mr. A allegedly attacked her with a knife after hearing her say, "You're going to leave empty-handed, loser." The victim was transported to the hospital after her mother reported the incident but died from hemorrhagic shock.

After the crime, Mr. A was arrested after barricading himself inside the house and engaging in a standoff with police for over two hours. Investigations revealed that Mr. A had a prior record of stabbing his first wife with a knife in 1998, for which he received a suspended prison sentence.

The first trial court sentenced Mr. A to 20 years, determining that he had projected his long-accumulated anger onto the victim, leading to a tragic outcome. Mr. A appealed this decision, but the appellate court dismissed his appeal in April 2022, upholding the original sentence. The court stated that a severe sentence was unavoidable, considering the victim's death and the profound suffering inflicted upon her family due to the defendant's actions.