GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Police have arrested the mother of one of six suspects accused of luring a woman to the U.S. to join a “religious group,” then beating and starving her to death.
Mihee Lee was booked into the Gwinnett County jail Wednesday morning.
The victim, See Hee Cho, was found dead in the trunk of a Jaguar in front of a popular Korean spa in Gwinnett County last month.
Police later announced the arrests of six people -- five adults and a 14-year-old boy, in the woman’s death.
They are identified as Eric Hyun, 26; Joonhyum Lee, 22; Joonho Lee, 26; Hyunji Lee, 25; and Gawon Lee, 26 and Junyeong Lee, 15.
All six have been charged with felony murder, imprisonment, tampering with evidence and concealing a death.
Mihee Lee is Joonho Lee’s mother. Channel 2′s Matt Johnson learned that she’s also been charged with murder.
It’s unclear if she’s facing any other charges.
Police said in a news conference that Cho was from South Korea and was lured to Atlanta over the summer under the guise of joining a religious organization.
Police said that after she arrived, she was beaten and starved for months until she died.
“They called themselves ‘Soldiers of Christ,’” police said. “Apparently, the victim was subjected to beatings and malnourishment, which is subsequently what the medical examiner’s office believes led to her death.”
The official cause of death has not been determined.
Cho, who is believed to have been in her 20s or 30s, was approximately 70 pounds when her body was found, police said. They believe she may have been in the trunk for several days.
Police said they believe Hyun drove the Jaguar to the parking lot of the sauna, then called a family member and asked to be picked up and taken to a hospital to be treated for an unrelated injury.
He then sent the family member back to the vehicle to retrieve something, and that person discovered the body and called 911.
Police said that after the body was found, the investigation led them to a home on Stable Gate in Lawrenceville, where they determined that the crimes happened in the home’s basement.
On Wednesday, attorneys for Hyun released a statement claiming that Hyun is a victim of the Lee family and their religious extremism.
Attorney David Boyle said Hyun escaped the home on Sept. 12 with Cho’s remains. Boyle said he is still in the medical wing at the Gwinnett County jail after spending weeks at Grady Memorial Hospital.