Murder in the Moon

As promised, I’m following up on the news a 19-year-old friend of mine is accused of murdering a woman in the Las Vegas area. While I’m trying to remain unbiased, I do use his first name rather than last.

Many teens are into fast cars, girls and easy money. I jus’ didn’t know how hard those three things were pulling on my young friend.

Finally, I must admit, I’m terribly shaken by what I’ve learned. And I can’t help but form an opinion that this is a case of murder for the sake of greed.

Authorities say the woman whose charred remains were found in Arizona last month near Hoover Dam was a Las Vegas escort service owner killed over a $9,000 debt. The Mohave County Coroner’s Office identify the woman as Yung Park, saying she had been struck in the head at least five times with an object and killed before being burned.

Las Vegas Metro Police arrested two of her employees in her slaying. A preliminary hearing of January 24th has been set for Min Chang and Keon Park, who have been charged with murder using a deadly weapon, first-degree kidnapping with use of a deadly weapon and conspiracy in the woman’s death.

Both of the defendants are using an interpreter to communicate with the judge and their attorneys.  Also, Keon Park is not related to Yung Park and is a resident of Reno.

Keon tells police Yung Park owed him $3,000 and Chang between $5,000 and $6,000. He says Park kept putting off payments and Chang suggested they kill her.

Keon drove Yung Park to the desert December 20 to look at an eclipse. The plan was for him to hit her with a rock but he told police he lost his nerve and couldn’t do it.

The next day Keon asked Yung Park for the money and she again refused. He says he followed her onto a patio, where he kneed her in the face and choked her.

Keon called Chang for help and together, they carried Yung Park into Chang’s car, put her in the backseat and while Chang drove, Keon tried choking her again. Keon then struck her several times in the head with a wrench and says she soon stopped breathing after he placed her in a choke hold.

Keon also says he and Chang bought items from a Boulder City 7-Eleven to burn her body because she was an illegal alien and no one would be able to identify her. Surveillance video backs up Keon’s statement, showing the two buying motor oil, lighter fluid, two gallons of gas, two plastic gas cans, gloves, a lighter, a bottle of Gatorade and water at the store.

After driving to a remote area, they used a book of matches and the lighter fluid to try to burn her body, but had trouble getting the fire started because it had been raining. The following day, Keon and Chang went back to the same store, bought more gasoline and another pair of gloves before burning the body where they left it the day before.

Keon says he took over Yung Park’s escort business, splitting the profits with Chang. However the majority of the money they made, went to the dead woman’s unpaid bills.

Metro Police say Chang has confirmed he and Keon did plan to kill Yung Park. Both Chang and Keon are being held without bail in the Clark County Detention Center.