Body found shoved in a suitcase 35 years ago identified as 26-year-old Ga. woman

JENKINS COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has identified human remains found in a dumpster on Valentine’s Day 35 years ago as a 26-year-old Korean woman.

The GBI said a woman’s body was found stuffed inside a suitcase and wrapped up in plastic and duct tape in a dumpster on Feb. 14, 1988 in Jenkins County.

Investigators determined the woman had been dead for four to seven days and died of asphyxiation.

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Investigators took fingerprints and compared the victim’s dental records to other missing people. They also created a sketch of the woman.

“As DNA technology advanced over the years, police resubmitted evidence to the GBI Crime Lab for additional testing,” the GBI said. “Analysts found DNA on the items submitted, but the profiles obtained were not eligible for entry into the CODIS DNA Database.”

In 2023, the GBI started working with a company in Texas that uses advanced DNA testing to solve cases.

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The body was identified as Chong Un Kim, who was born in Korea but had lived in Hinesville, Georgia, for several years prior to her death. Her family was notified that she had been identified this month.

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The GBI is asking anyone who may have known Chong Un Kim, or has any information about this case, to contact the GBI at 912-871-1121. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

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