Anchorage, AK: Police say two south-side deaths were murder-suicide

TOWNHOUSE: Man apparently killed girlfriend, hanged self.
By CASEY GROVE
Anchorage Daily News
Published: November 29th, 2011 11:07 PM
Last Modified: November 29th, 2011 11:07 PM
A man hanged himself after stabbing his girlfriend in their rented South Anchorage townhouse, where the man's brother found their bodies Monday afternoon, police said.

Tae Won Ro, 40, was found hanging by a rope in the second-floor living area, and an autopsy showed he had strangled, police spokesman Lt. Dave Parker said in a written statement. A medical examiner found that Yoo Jin Kim, 33, died from multiple stab wounds, Parker said. She was discovered lying on the home's third floor, surrounded by blood, said Detective Mark Huelskoetter.

Ro apparently killed Kim, then hanged himself, Huelskoetter said. Crime scene investigators found evidence that Ro had Kim's blood on his hands when he went to the first-floor garage to get a rope, the detective said.

A family member said the two were in a relationship and lived together, Parker said. Neighbors said it was about a month ago that the pair moved into the gray-and-brown townhouse, one in a 16-unit development south of Huffman Road in the 12600 block of Bona Kim Loop.

According to state business records, Ro owned T-1 General Contractor. Neighbors said he renovated the townhouse and another nearby before moving into the small, new neighborhood.

Family members had not seen Ro and Kim since Thanksgiving, Huelskoetter said.

ADVERTISEMENT

"The family reported they'd argued at least a couple days prior to Thanksgiving and that they'd had some previous issues," Huelskoetter said.

Ro had two previous convictions for assault, one related to a domestic violence situation, and a prior domestic violence restraining order, according to court records.

While the exact time of death for Ro and Kim has not yet been determined, police say the last time the couple's next-door neighbors heard noises in the residence was Friday.

"There was nothing heard after that," Huelskoetter said.

Over the holiday weekend, family members stopped by the residence, knocked on the door and got no response, Huelskoetter said. On Monday, Ro's brother called the couple's landlord, concerned about their welfare, and the landlord gave him a spare garage door opener. The brother found the bodies inside about 3:20 p.m. and called 911, police said.

Detectives continue to investigate, Parker said.