KB News Desk
Police investigator allegedly lied about having spoken to woman missing for 3 months
The family of Jang Mi-ran, a 37-year-old woman who has been missing for three months, has released detailed information about her in a desperate effort to find her.
The case drew renewed public attention Tuesday after News1 reported that the police officer initially assigned to the case may have falsely told his superiors that he had contacted Jang by phone.
The officer later closed the missing-person case in May after reporting that he had spoken with Jang.
Jang’s family has made public her photographs, name, height of about 158 centimeters, manner of speaking and other identifying details, including a gold bracelet she was believed to be wearing, along with the family’s phone number and email address.
Jang has lived on Jeju Island for about 10 years. She disappeared after leaving her home in Hanrim-eup, Jeju City, sometime between late May 12 and the early hours of May 13.
Her boyfriend, who was living with her at the time, told police that he woke up in the morning to find her missing and reported her disappearance.
Jang’s family filed a separate missing-person report in mid-June. They again asked police to investigate last month after remaining unable to contact her.
Questions over initial police handling
Jeju Seobu Police Station has reopened the case and is reviewing all possibilities, including that Jang may have left voluntarily or become the victim of a crime.
Police said they have found no signs of activity since her disappearance, such as use of her phone or credit cards or records showing that she was admitted to a hospital.
Police are also investigating whether the officer who initially handled the case actually spoke with Jang as he had reported.
Contrary to his initial report, police now believe the officer neither confirmed Jang’s whereabouts nor communicated with her. Police told News1 that they recently informed the family that the officer’s claim that he had contacted Jang appeared to be untrue.
The officer has been removed from duty over a separate investigation into an allegation of a sex offense.
Police said they have found no evidence so far indicating that Jang was the victim of a crime
