Parents of murdered girl are
still searching for answers
By B.R. Sargent, Seoul
bureau
(Pittsburgh) Tribune-Review
/ Courtesy to Stars and Stripes
Brian and Patricia Penich are looking for answers to solve the murder of their daughter,
Jamie Lynn Penich. |
The parents of a 21-year-old college student who was brutally murdered in Seoul say
they are frustrated with the lack of progess in the investigation and have contacted the
State Deparment, the FBI, local news media and their senator’s office.
Brian and Patricia Penich’s daughter, Jamie, was found beaten to death March 18 in
a small hotel in Itaewon, a party district less than a mile from Yongsan Garrison,
headquarters of U.S. Forces Korea.
The Korean National Police (KNP) are leading the investigation. Agents from the U.S.
Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) are assisting because Jamie was seen socializing
with U.S. servicemen the night she died. The U.S. Embassy bureau of consular affairs has
been acting as liaison between the family and the KNP.
The Penichs said they believe their daughter’s murderer should have been caught by
now and wonder who is going to take responsibility for running a thorough investigation.
The South Korean police have said they have no conclusive physical evidence and must
start from scratch in the investigation.
The police are looking for one single clue that will link the murderer to the crime
scene.
"Why can’t we at least get the autopsy report?" asked Brian Penich. He
was "livid" when he learned the report had been completed and sent to the Korean
police on May 2, said Patricia Penich.
Gerry McLoughlin, a U.S. Embassy spokesman in Seoul, said an informal translation of
the autopsy report was completed and sent to Washington. The report was sent to the
Penichs from there, he said. McLoughlin said he doesn’t know when the report was sent
to Washington or to the Penichs. "I just know that it was (sent)," he said.
The Penichs said they received a "glossed over" police summary and crime
scene photos.
"I feel like my own little detective," said Patricia Penich. "I had to
ask for the (police) report. I had to ask for the autopsy report. I have to ask all of
these questions.
"This is very disturbing," she said. "We don’t know what to do or
where to turn."
Frustrated with the lack of answers, the Penichs sent an e-mail to Secretary of State
Colin Powell via an address on the U.S. State Department’s Web site. They have not
received a response from Powell’s office.
Chuck Hunter, a State Department spokesman, said his office receives about 1,600 to
2,000 e-mails a week.
"Every message that comes into that address gets an automatic response back,
saying that because of the volume, the secretary can’t review every one," Hunter
said.
The Penichs are unhappy with that response.
"Somebody should be looking," at the e-mails, said Patricia Penich. "I
think they get them and delete every one of them."
Hunter responded that "I’d imagine (the e-mail) would be passed to our bureau
of consular affairs, although I couldn’t say for certain."
While Hunter said he couldn’t speculate on what the level of involvement any
senior official may take in the case, he did say that Deputy Secretary of State Richard
Armitage is aware of the murder.
Another State Deparment spokesman, Ken Bailes, said, "The U.S. Embassy is handling
this issue and is continuing to work closely with South Korean authorities to ensure that
all possible steps are taken to resolve this tragic incident."
He also said the incident is being handled in law-enforcement channels and is not a
political issue between the United States and South Korea.
"We look for a rapid resolution of the case and hope that the ongoing
investigation by South Korean authorities will produce positive results," Bailes
added.
The Penichs held a news conference at their home on May 17 to bring attention to the
case.
Since the news conference, the Penichs say they were contacted by the FBI again, a
State Department official and a representative from the office of Sen. Arlen Specter,
R-Pa.
Patricia Penich thinks this is a good sign.
"I hope something will come of this," she said. "I don’t feel as if
I am banging my head against a wall. I hope she (Jamie) is smiling down on us."
The family has had no response from Sen. Richard Santorum, R-Pa. Several calls to
Santorum’s office by Stripes went without response.
Jeremy Kirk, Franklin Fisher and William Son contributed to this report.
RELATED STORY:
Witnesses, soldiers recall
events of the night student was killed
PREVIOUS STORIES:
May 24: Evidence lacking, so probe
starts anew
May 24: U.S. forensic expert says
investigation was flawed
May 7: Family frustrated by lack of
progress in investigation
May 6: Information sought in murder of
American student
May 6: Long-awaited trip to Korea
turned to tragedy
Back to May stories
Page Two news roundup
Stories from April, 2001
Stories from March, 2001
Stories from February,2001
Stories from January, 2001
Stories from December, 2000
Stories from November, 2000
Stories from October, 2000
Stories from August and September, 2000
Stories from June and July, 2000
Home |
