Chinese Lecturer Referred to Prosecutors for Murder and Dismemberment of Graduate Student

A Chinese lecturer accused of killing and dismembering a female Chinese graduate student who had taken his class allegedly did so out of fear that he would lose his job if she revealed their relationship, police said Friday.

The Gyeongsan Police Station disclosed the alleged motive as it referred the suspect, Zheng Changsheng, 31, to prosecutors.

Zheng is accused of killing a 25-year-old Chinese woman at his studio apartment in Hayang-eup, Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, in the early morning on Aug. 20. He later allegedly mutilated her body and abandoned the parts in multiple places, including Gyeongju and Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, south of Seoul.

The investigation found that the two had been in a relationship. During an argument, the victim threatened to report their relationship to the university. Investigators believe that Zheng then killed her.

Police said that a polygraph test, commonly known as a lie detector, found no indication that he was lying about his motive.

Officials also believe Zheng filed a false missing-person report after the killing in an attempt to throw investigators off his trail. He is also accused of disguising himself as a woman, traveling to Dongdaegu Station and turning off the victim's phone to prevent police from tracing her movements.

He was arrested on Aug. 25 and has been charged with murder, mutilating, abandoning and concealing a corpse, and obstruction of official duties by fraudulent means.

Zheng underwent an assessment using the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised, or PCL-R, which measures traits such as impulsivity, lack of empathy and irresponsibility. He scored below 25 out of 40, falling short of the threshold commonly used in South Korea to classify someone as a psychopath.

Officials said the search for the victim’s unrecovered remains would continue after the case was referred to prosecutors.

They also plan to investigate separate allegations that Zheng threatened other female students by telling them they needed to remain in his good graces to graduate.