Millen, Georgia – A woman whose body was found in a suitcase in Georgia 35 years ago has been identified, thanks to advances in DNA testing.
The woman was identified as Chong Un Kim, a 26-year-old South Korean immigrant who had been living in Hinesville, Georgia, at the time of her death. Kim’s body was found wrapped in plastic and duct tape inside a brown canvas suitcase on February 14, 1988, in a dumpster in Millen.
Investigators were unable to identify Kim for decades, despite using fingerprints, dental records, and a forensic sketch. DNA found at the time could not be matched.
In 2022, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) partnered with Othram, a Texas-based company that specializes in forensic DNA analysis using advanced genetic sequencing. Othram was able to extract DNA from the suitcase and generate a genetic profile of the victim.
Othram then used its database of DNA profiles to search for potential matches. The company was able to identify a possible match in a woman named Chong Un Kim, who had been reported missing from Hinesville in 1988.
The GBI then compared the DNA profile from the suitcase to DNA samples from Kim’s family members. The match was confirmed, and Kim was finally identified.
The GBI is now asking for the public’s help in solving Kim’s murder. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the GBI at 912-871-1121.
