Pitt Student Believed To Be Homicide VictimExchange Student Found Dead In South KoreaUPDATED: 12:34 p.m. EST March 21, 2001 South Korean police said that angry shouts in a male voice may be a key to finding suspects in the weekend death of a University of Pittsburgh student in a Seoul hotel room.
Investigators said that Jamie Penich, 21, of Derry Township,
Westmoreland County, was found dead in her room in Itaewon in Seoul
on Sunday.
WTAE-TV's Ellen Gamble reported that South Korean police have formed a joint investigation team with U.S. military officials.
Officials have said that Penich died of massive chest, neck and facial injuries in her hotel room.
Penich was studying for a semester at Keimyung University in
Taegu, 150 miles southeast of Seoul.
Majoring in cultural anthropology and religious studies, she had gone to South Korea on March 1 and was scheduled to return home June 22.
A female roommate found Penich lying naked in front of the
bathroom at about 8 a.m. and immediately reported to South Korean
police.
"We're waiting for the results of an autopsy but an initial
investigation indicates that it's homicide," said Lt. Kwon
Young-hae from Yongsan Police Station in Seoul. "She is believed
to have died of suffocation caused by massive pressure on the
chest."
Kwon said that several footprints of large jogging shoes were found
on Penich's chest. Her jaw was broken in three places and pushed
back, and her right ear was partly torn, he said.
The incident occurred at a shopping and nightspot area
frequented by American soldiers. About 37,000 U.S. soldiers are
stationed in South Korea and their headquarters are located near
the area.
According to South Korean police, Penich traveled to Seoul with
six other international friends from Keimyung University to
celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
They stayed at a barroom past midnight Saturday and some,
including Penich, were seen dancing with American soldiers in
civilian clothes, police said.
Police said that Penich was believed to be taking shower when she was
attacked.
Initial findings show that there were no signs of rape, they
said.
Penich's Finish hotel roommate told police that she went to bed
around 2 a.m. on Sunday and that she was so deeply asleep that she
was not aware of any signs of trouble with her roommate.
Another female friend in the next room, identified by police
only as a Russian, told police that she heard a man's loud voice at around 4 a.m.
Copyright 2001 by ThePittsburghChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. |
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