Search for hammer ends
By Laura Pelner
Campus
Editor
Police have in their possession the hammer reportedly
used on Aug. 2 in the murders of the two South Korean sisters killed
in a Purdue Village apartment.
Purdue Police announced Thursday that a 14-year-old
boy found the hammer in the Wabash River and took it home. The boy,
whose name was not released, told police he found the hammer several
weeks ago while wading in knee-deep water just south of the John T.
Myers Pedestrian Bridge.
Lt. Fred Davis said the family contacted an attorney
when they realized it could be the hammer used in the Woo sisters' murders.
"They contacted (an attorney) not knowing exactly what to do," said
Davis.
The boy who found the weapon is not a local resident.
He was actually in the area visiting his mother and is returning to
Florida shortly.
Davis said the hammer is still in good condition.
"They weren't doing anything with it," he said. "(The boy) found something
in the river, it was kind of cool, they maintained it."
He said the boy brought it home and it's been in
the family's apartment ever since.
Regarding its use as evidence in the case against
Zhan Yin, 27, a doctoral student in biology and suspected murderer,
Davis said the hammer would probably work. He said finding useable fingerprints
on it probably won't happen, but other evidence could be there.
"It looks to be in very good condition," Davis
said. "I can't tell much about the evidence, as to whether it had anything
on it or not. But our evidence technician was real pleased to have it.
It was in good shape, not damaged. If there's anything there, they may
be able to prove it's it."
The hammer was sent to the Indiana State Police
Laboratory in Lowell, Ind. on Thursday for testing and Davis said the
results could be a long time coming.
"Given the facts and all the other evidence they
have to process, it's going to be awhile," he said.
Yin told police earlier this month that he used
the hammers to beat Yeunkyung Woo, 31, a doctoral student in biology,
and her sister, Hyo Kyung Woo, 29, of Chicago. Reportedly, Yin beat
the sisters in the head with the hammer and then stabbed each in the
throat with a kitchen knife.
According to a release, County Coroner Martin Avolt
confirmed the sisters died sometime in the evening of Aug. 2 from blunt
force trauma and incised wounds.
Yin is being housed in the Tippecanoe County Jail
without bond. He faces 12 charges – two counts each for murder,
murder while committing or attempting to commit burglary or robbery,
robbery, theft and confinement and single counts each of burglary and
attempted arson.
The omnibus date for Yin's trial is set for 9 a.m.
Sept. 28. The plea cut-off date is Nov. 23.
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