In a world of hurt
So my friend Jeremy is behind bars. He’s being transferred today to a prison in Incheon where he will stay until his trial date, presumably in a month or so. He’s been charged with “violence resulting in death”, which I understand is the Korean equivalent of manslaughter.
Several weeks ago Jeremy was at the Old Town Tavern in Itaewon. He observed a young Korean man verbally and physically harassing a female friend of his. Jeremy intervened, and a shoving match ensued (some accounts say Jeremy punched the guy). The Korean man subsequently fell to the pavement, struck his head, went into a coma, and later died from his injuries. He was 20 years old. I’m hearing in his 30’s now, see update below.
I’m not sure how you say “screwed” in Korean, but that most certainly describes what Jeremy is. The altercation has been reported in the Korean media in terms much less favorable than those I’ve described above. An attorney Jeremy has consulted advises that he is facing 7-10 years in prison, although that might be reduced to as little as two years, provided he makes some restitution to the deceased’s family. The victims medical bills alone are fifty million Won.
Like many expat teachers in Korea, Jeremy is basically broke. He was fired immediately after the incident hit the news. He will have difficulty funding a competent lawyer, I see no possibility of him being able to pay off the family. The Go Fund Me campaign started on his behalf had only generated several hundred dollars before it was pulled. Go Fund Me doesn’t allow people to donate to the legal fees for individuals accused of a violent crime. So, like I said, he’s pretty much screwed.
I’ve known Jeremy for several years and I’ve never seen him be violent or aggressive. But I knew he had been in fights before, mostly because he’s a stand-up guy who won’t back down. As another mutual friend put it, Jeremy is a smart man who does some really stupid shit. Now two lives have been destroyed and their ain’t a fucking thing anyone can do to change that. It’s a nightmare for all involved.
So I offer this sad story as a cautionary tale. Just walk away. It’s not worth it.
UPDATE: A friend of Jeremy’s has created a Facebook page in an effort to generate some financial support for legal expenses. I wanted to post the account of the events outlined there for clarification. I wasn’t there and neither was he, but this is probably as close to accurate as we are going to get.
A good friend of mine, Jeremy Frye, was recently arrested on charges that could put him in prison for a long time. Because I wasn’t there at the time of the incident I can only relay the story according to Jeremy and a couple of other friends who were at the scene. I will try to simplify it. Here goes:
On Nov. 30th, Jeremy was at a local bar with his friends in the early morning. A Korean man in his 30’s sexually assaulted one of Jeremy’s Korean female friends by grabbing her inappropriately. The Korean man was removed from the bar by the security later to come back inside. The Korean guy pursued to apologize but instead tried to become physical with one of Jeremy’s mates. The Korean guy then left the building only to harass another one of Jeremy’s female friends and physically trying to harm her. Jeremy stepped in and removed the Korean guy which resulted in a scuffle. When this happened, he was almost immediately pulled away by the bar owner and security guard and went back inside. Several minutes later the paramedics arrived on scene because the Korean guy fell unconscious. When the police came, the Korean guy’s friend pointed at Jeremy. They questioned him and then let him go home. Later in the day, the police arrived at Jeremy’s apartment and arrested him for more questioning. He was held overnight and released again. The police told him the Korean guy was in a coma. About a week later the Korean guy died in the hospital. Jeremy is now in prison and awaiting his trial, which could be in a month.
If you feel like giving Jeremy the proper legal assistance, you can transfer funds to a bank account I have set up for him. I will try my best to keep everyone updated on his situation on this page. It will be difficult to contact individually.
KEB
620-237511-243
Murphy
“Just walk away. It’s not worth it.”
Or just be sure to drag your quarry into a side street, where there are no security cameras, and beat his ass there. And while you’re at it, wear a wide-brimmed hat to keep your face in shadow.
In any event, I’m sorry to hear that this happened to your friend. He had the bad luck to tangle with someone who was apparently more fragile than a crystal swan. Sucks for all around.
And where in the world did you find that photo?
The guy who is managing his affairs took the photo during a visit at the Yongsan jailhouse. It was used in the now defunct Go Fund Me campaign.
Lots of folks say that nothing good is going to happen to you if you stay out after hours in Itaewon. Old Town is one of those places that stay open all all night and into the morning. If there’s gonna be trouble, you are likely to find it there.
I’m sorry if I’m rubbing salt into wounds, but I noticed that the details of the incident seem to have changed. In your earlier post, you’d written:
“Acting on instinct you get up and tell the guy to back off and give him a shove. The guy collapses and goes into cardiac arrest. He is transported to the hospital and placed in ICU. You are placed under arrest and transported to jail.”
This time around, however:
“The Korean man subsequently fell to the pavement, struck his head, went into a coma, and later died from his injuries. He was 20 years old.”
So I’m left to wonder whether it was a heart issue or a head issue that did the guy in. Why did the details change? Did new information come to light later on? Just curious, is all.
And by the way, since this is your friend we’re talking about here, if you think I’m overstepping my bounds by asking these sorts of questions, feel free to tell me to go fuck myself. I won’t be offended.
No, no salt. No wounds. In the first paragraph of that first post I was quoting from something Jeremy wrote on his Facebook page two days after the incident. At that point even he wasn’t clear on what happened. He said the police had showed him a photograph of the guy in the ICU, and he made the assumption it was a heart attack I guess.
Anyway, the story has evolved somewhat and I’m hearing some variations from other folks. Some people have told me it was more than shoving and punches were thrown. What remains unclear is whether the guy collapsed immediately or at some point later that morning. I also have heard now that the guy was in his 30s, but I have no way to confirm that. Not that it matters much I suppose.
I’m unable to read the Korean news accounts, the Marmot posted a link to one. I’ve heard they said things like Jeremy was fleeing the scene and the police had to chase him down. I know that’s not true. Jee Yeun said she read about it on Naver but she didn’t really give me any details of what was posted there.
I’m admittedly posting what I’m hearing second or third hand and obviously most folks (me included) are putting things in the best possible light for Jeremy. Another friend has created a Facebook fundraising page. He’s basically taken on the task of managing Jeremy’s affairs during his incarceration. I’m going to update this post with the info from that page, which is mostly consistent with what I wrote, but adds a couple more details.
It’s been interesting to observe how people are reacting to this tragic event. Most of his friends and acquaintances have been supportive in a “hate the sin, love the sinner” kind of way. Other folks have been either unsympathetic or downright hostile. Jeremy has expressed to me that he knows he fucked up but that he certainly had no intention of seriously hurting the guy. He insists he was only trying to protect a female friend. I wasn’t there so I can’t say either way. He’s been in country for over 7 years, so perhaps he should have known better. I’m pretty sure alcohol played a part in what happened as well. But at this point I’d like to see him get a fair shake in court, serve the least amount of time as possible, and then try to salvage what’s left of his life. He’s got a tough road ahead and I hope it makes it out with his sanity intact.
I do appreciate your interest in this situation.
Fact: Korean guy was a friend of the woman. They shook hands and gently touched each other’s shoulder. Jeremy punched the Korean guy a several times for no apparent reason. The victim dies at hospital due to blunt force trauma resulting from this assault.
The previous commenter is full of it. If you google the story, there are photos of the sexual assault victim, Jenny, who reinacted the scene. The sex criminal who died touched Jenny on her left thigh and her genitals.
Jenny claims the fight broke out at Old Town, a non-hooker bar in the red light district, because the late victim Ma, 30, put his hand on her left thigh and touched her genital area.
“I yelled at him, ‘Don’t touch me,’ and snapped his hand away as it slid and touched my genitals,” she said, noting that Ma sat on an empty chair next to her while she was having a drink with her boyfriend Paul.
Thanks for the comments, Issa. Been quite sometime since I’ve revisited the sad story of Jeremy’s misfortune. I never doubted that in his misguided way Jeremy was doing what he thought was right. He is not a bad person and is actually quite intelligent. Except when drank. And he drank way too much way too often.
I need to check for updates on his situation. If I recall he was sentenced to six years in prison, so he might be getting close to time for being released.
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