Deacon Pleads Guilty in Death of Woman Killed in Exorcism
As three parishioners bowed their heads and prayed, a Glendale church deacon pleaded guilty in a Malibu courtroom Friday to involuntary manslaughter under a deal with prosecutors in which he agreed to testify about an exorcism that killed the wife of a Korean missionary.
Jin Hyun Choi, 47, looked at his lawyer, then softly spoke a single word, “guilty,” in connection with the July 4 death of Kyung Jae Chung, 53.
Also accused in the death were her husband, Jae Whoa Chung, 50, and Sung Soo Choi, 42, a visiting missionary from China who is not related to the deacon.
Police say the men used their hands and feet to force out demons, in effect stomping her to death.
Jin Hyun Choi’s involvement in the ritual was relatively minor, said his lawyer, Gary Windom, a deputy public defender in Ventura County. Choi has given prosecutors a statement about the case.
Chung and Sung Soo Choi are scheduled to go on trial March 14.
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