South Korea - Jamie Penich, 21, U.S. student, Seoul, 18 March 2001

[LadyGraffix@mac.com]

Ran across this story on CNN, and can't find any current threads on it. Its absolutely fascinating, its about the murder of a U.S. foreign exchange student in Korea. One of the things I found most interesting is the detailing of court procedures in Korea. Would love to know if others have heard of this before and what you might think . . .

Murder in Room 103

 

[LadyGraffix@mac.com]

I posted this in the cold case forum, but maybe here is a more appropriate place . . .

Ran across this story on CNN, and can't find any current threads on it. Its absolutely fascinating, its about the murder of a U.S. foreign exchange student in Korea. One of the things I found most interesting is the detailing of court procedures in Korea. Would love to know if others have heard of this before and what you might think . . .

Murder in Room 103

 

[tuppence]

You should have warned me about how long it was. I got hooked and couldn't stop reading :doh:

Strange story - Do you think the friend did it?

 

[Jaxie]

The murder of Jamie Penich.

I don't post on this board often but wanted to say something about this. I've read everything I could find on this case and, to be honest, I don't know what to think.

When I start to think that maybe the friend did it, I can't quite piece the whole thing together. I mean if she stomped on her and there was blood everywhere, how did she not have blood on her pants or boots? That is what I keep coming back to. Also, what would have been her motive? I hardly buy the lesbian thing. That doesn't add up to getting so angry that you stomp someone to death. There's also the hotel owner's wife who said she saw a man with blood on his pants leaving about the same time of the murder, the girl who was in the hotel room next door that heard a man's voice in the room, and the eye witness who said she saw a man walking around in the hall outside room 103 and eventually going inside. Not to mention that generally a "stomping to death" is usually committed by a man.

However, some of Kenzie's details of her confession fit some of the victim's bruising. Also, there are parts of Kenzie's story that don't add up....such as starting the shower water for her when there was no water in the tub or on the floor and saying she went back to the room to check on her but didn't actually go inside....her roommate said she never left the bed once she came in to lay down. There are several parts of Kenzie's story that just don't add up, including what time they left the bar that night.

One thing that I find suspicious is the roommate. I mean how could she have slept through the whole thing? I know she was pretty wasted and she claims to be a heavy sleeper....but sleeping through someone being stomped to death right next to you?? It had to have been loud, especially since the girl in the room next door heard it. Also, if you were someone who just murdered someone are you going to take a chance that the girl sleeping in the same room didn't see anything?? How would they know she wasn't faking sleep? I don't know....I just don't get it.

 

[1986]

I had the same things jump out at me. I think there may have been more than just these young women in the room. The friend was able to explain the marks on the back that LE had no idea how to explain. She also was the last person known to have seen this woman alive. The comments about how personable she was don't mean much to me. How many times do we read about criminals that are described as really nice and friendly? The roommate has to know something and is just afraid to tell. I got a funny feeling when I read that the friend went to (Denmark?) to visit the roommate for six weeks. I'm afraid that this is one that won't be solved until someone breaks their silence. That's sad, because the parents deserve to know the truth.

 

[Jaxie]

I think it was Kenzie going to visit the roommate that got the cops suspicious in the first place. I can understand wanting to spend some time with someone who knows what you may be going through but something just doesn't add up.

You're also right in that many killers/sociopaths have many people fooled. However, IF Kenzie did kill Jamie then there is so much more to the story than what she put in her confession. First of all, neither girl has ever shown any type of lesbian tendencies. Second of all, Kenzie said that what set her off is Jamie trying to unbutton her pants and that reminded her of a time when she was 3 and a boy tried to look up her skirt and it pissed her off?? HUH?? Does that seem completely off the wall to anyone else? So you are going to stomp a girl to death over a memory of a boy trying to look up your skirt as a kid?? And who remembers what happened at the age of 3 anyway? (I *think* she said she was 3) Also, she said she stomped on Jamie because it pissed her off that she was looking at her....huh??

Jamie's parents think it was Kenzie. However, the courts see too many holes and too many things pointing at a man. It was inconclusive rather or not there was semen because of the testing methods not being done right or something of the sort.

I just can't come up with a theory on this one. :banghead:

 

[jannuncutt]

I first learned of this case when it was profiled on Dateline (or one of those shows). I share your confusion. For some reason, I just don't believe that Jamie came on to Kenzie. However, I cannot see Kenzie committing that type of murder by herself. I do think that the man with the bloody pants was involved. I also believe that it is possible for the roomate to sleep through and/or not remember the attack. Some people really do get that drunk. I do not trust Kenzie's version of the events of that night.

 

[PaulaKay]

I've heard of this case, as it was in my local paper because the "accused" is originally from this town. I think CTV has a whole section on this somewhere.

 

[mrs4point0]

Wow, that's really sad. The cloth covering her face is an indication that she was killed by someone she knew and that person cared about her. Unfortunately, I fear justice will not be served in this world. This killer will answer on Judgment Day.

 

[Julie]

This case is very interesting. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when they interviewed the 'friend' and got the false confession. Other than that, I don't know what to believe.

 

[No Stone Unturned]

Here is a synopsis of the bizarre case:

http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=132409&page=1#.UFylJEL9S3l

And here is a more recent article detailing what happened next.

http://www.wvrecord.com/news/195934...-coerced-confession-violation-of-civil-rights

 

[No Stone Unturned]

Here is Kenzi's lawsuit against the FBI as a real document . 24 pages.

http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca4/08-1414/081414.p-2011-03-15.html

and this is a copy of her confession of the murder

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...9JRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PnADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6632,3385095

 

[MommaGx3]

I am Jamie's youngest sister. I can tell you, that we gravel over this daily. Our hearts need mended, and I fear they never will. No matter if we get answers or not, we will always have a hole in our hearts because we don't have Jamie. I can only hope that somehow, some way Justice will prevail for Jamie. Some information many don't know: She was actually engaged to be married prior to her leaving for Korea. I don't believe Kenzi did this, although I do believe she had a hand in what had happened to my sister. I believe that it was someone in the small group of friends that traveled together as exchange students. I do believe that the girl in the room with Jamie was threatened in some way, from seeing photos of the room, there is NO way (In my opinion) anyone could sleep through that, without being awakened with the closeness in the room (it is tiny). This is something I pray gets solved. I hope one day someone can find it within themselves to just give us the closure we seek.

 

[barknluke]

I am Jamie's youngest sister. I can tell you, that we gravel over this daily. Our hearts need mended, and I fear they never will. No matter if we get answers or not, we will always have a hole in our hearts because we don't have Jamie. I can only hope that somehow, some way Justice will prevail for Jamie. Some information many don't know: She was actually engaged to be married prior to her leaving for Korea. I don't believe Kenzi did this, although I do believe she had a hand in what had happened to my sister. I believe that it was someone in the small group of friends that traveled together as exchange students. I do believe that the girl in the room with Jamie was threatened in some way, from seeing photos of the room, there is NO way (In my opinion) anyone could sleep through that, without being awakened with the closeness in the room (it is tiny). This is something I pray gets solved. I hope one day someone can find it within themselves to just give us the closure we seek.

I'm really very sorry for your loss. I grew up near where you all did, went to Pitt and did study abroad, just a few years before Jamie. I think of her still and hope you can get some resolution.