Death of Woman at LAX Attributed to Suffocation

An unidentified young Asian woman believed to have stowed away in a suitcase on an international flight to Los Angeles died of suffocation because of pressure on her chest, possibly caused by baggage placed on top of her, authorities said Tuesday.

Authorities said the victim, whose body was found in the piece of luggage at 3:45 p.m. Monday in the customs baggage area at Los Angeles International Airport, came to the United States on a non-stop flight from either Korea, Japan or Germany.

The woman was described as in her 20s. She was 5 feet tall, weighed 120 pounds and had dark eyes and dark hair.

Crouched in a fetal position with a shawl over her head, the woman was discovered in an unclaimed 26- by 33- by 10-inch brown vinyl suitcase left on a baggage carrousel used by Korean Air Lines, Japan Air Lines and Lufthansa.

Ample Clothing

She was wearing several layers of clothing, including panty hose, socks, trousers, sweaters and gloves. Tucked beside her were bananas, one of which she had eaten. There were no markers or identification tags on the suitcase.

“She was not placed in there to die,” Los Angeles Police Detective Don Ravens said. “She was trying to sustain herself.”

Coroner’s spokesman Bill Gold said the victim had injuries “consistent with being jolted around in the suitcase,” including bruises on her head, chest, hip and right hand.

Gold said she died of asphyxia caused by “an external force applied to the suitcase” several hours before her body was discovered.

Accomplice Suspected

Authorities speculated that the victim had made arrangements with somebody, possibly a passenger on her flight, to retrieve the suitcase. Her accomplice may have panicked and left her at the terminal after discovering she was dead, investigators said.

Customs officials said that only arriving passengers and airport employees are allowed in the area where the suitcase was found. Christopher King, an airport customs supervisor, said that 80% of the baggage that moves through customs is not opened by officials and that the woman probably counted on getting through without detection. He said wheels that may have broken off the suitcase were found in an area adjoining the baggage carrousel.

“She had to have someone working with her, and I suspect it was somebody on the plane,” King said. “The person could go over, say hello and when she doesn’t answer, decide to leave her behind. I would imagine he could be charged with a multitude of things, perhaps manslaughter, certainly smuggling.”

Police said they did not know whether the baggage compartments in the three arriving aircraft were pressurized, which would have provided oxygen at high altitudes. King said he believed they were not.

Discovered About 2 p.m.

Police said the suitcase was noticed about 2 p.m. Two 9 1/2-hour non-stop flights from Tokyo arrived at 10 a.m. and 12:55 p.m, according to a reservations clerk with Japan Air Lines. A 13-hour Korean Air Lines flight from Seoul landed at 10:40 a.m., and a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt arrived at 1:30 p.m. after 10 hours and 40 minutes in the air, reservations agents said.

Investigators say they will examine passenger lists and labels on the woman’s clothing and may contact Interpol for help in determining her identity.

Lufthansa employees partly opened the suitcase after seeing that it was unclaimed.

“They thought they saw a hand, so they called Customs, who called the FBI and the LAPD,” King said.