A Koreatown man lived under a cloud of suspicion after his wife and child were slain. Five years later, the case took a twist
The screams shattered the late-afternoon calm of the apartment building.
A middle-aged woman stumbled out of a fourth-floor unit, terrified by her discovery. Neighbors who heard her cries frantically dialed 911. Within minutes, the idyllic block in the Miracle Mile area, lined with jacaranda trees, was swarming with police. A helicopter thundered overhead.
Apartment 402 was a sparsely furnished two-bedroom, with large French windows that let in plenty of afternoon sunlight. The woman led officers through a bedroom into a small bathroom.
There, her 30-year-old daughter, Chi Hyon Song, sat lifeless against a wall. Her mouth was gagged, wrists bound with packaging tape, arms folded in front of her as if in prayer. Gunshots had pierced her head and arm. A middle-aged nanny lay inside the bathtub on her side, shot in the head and chest. Nestled behind her was Chi Hyon's 2-year-old son. A bullet had entered at his shoulder and severed his spine.
As police canvassed the scene, Chi Hyon's husband arrived downstairs, holding the hand of the couple's 4-year-old son, Jin Woo.
Byung Chul Song seemed puzzled by the commotion. An officer whisked away the boy, handcuffed Song and took him to the local police station.
