Han twins murder conspiracy
Encyclopedia
The Han twins murder
conspiracy
was a case of attempted murder
of Sunny Han by her identical twin sister Jeena Han, occurring in November 1996 in Orange County
, California
, United States
.
It quickly became a sensationalized story in the media. The case brought together several themes, including surviving a broken family through a close sisterly bond, a "good" twin sister and an "evil" twin sister who were both beautiful as well as co-valedictorian
s at their high school, intense sibling rivalry, and a severe envy complex.
in April of 1974, but lived apart until they were three years old. Their mother
, Boo I. Kim, took them to Orange County when they were twelve years old. She worked as a cocktail waitress, but was also a compulsive gambler, leaving the twins alone for days at a time while she went away on gambling trips. The sisters, having nobody else around, developed a strong bond in order to cope. Unable to care for them, in 1990, Boo Kim sent them to live with an uncle and aunt in Campo
, a California city near the United States-Mexico border. Both girls did well there and excelled in school, graduating from high school as co-valedictorians. They both worked in restaurants for a time, and then Sunny went on to the University of La Verne
on a scholarship
. Jeena continued working at a restaurant, and to earn money for college, she decided to become a U.S.
citizen and join the Air Force
. The two grew apart, however, and spoke only once or twice by phone during the following year.
Stunned by the rigors of Air Force recruit training, Jeena tried to leave under the pretense that her father was ill, and when that ruse failed, she tried claiming to be a lesbian
. The Air Force finally relented and released her. In the meantime, Sunny, having failing grades for three school semesters, had her scholarship revoked, dropped out of college and began working as a receptionist. Jeena worked in a casino in Lakeside, California
as a blackjack
dealer and became a gambling addict
herself, going into heavy debt, and in January, 1996 attempted suicide
. To repay her debts, Jeena stole credit cards and personal checks from friends and family, for purposes of forgery. Subsequently, she was arrested, and later skipped out on her probation
.
Jeena moved back to Orange County to live with Sunny. The two had arguments, and Jeena once stole Sunny's car. During a physical argument in May 1996, Sunny hit Jeena, breaking her nose. The police responded to four disturbances, and at one of them, arrested Sunny on an outstanding warrant for credit card theft. Sunny reportedly had stolen a friend's card and gone on a shopping spree, justifying it by saying her friend wouldn't mind because her friend was rich. While Sunny was in jail, Jeena stole Sunny's car, credit cards, ID, and savings. She earned money by charging high priced electronics with Sunny's credit cards and pawning
them with the packages still unopened. After release, Sunny pressed charges and Jeena was put in jail, with Sunny refusing to help her. Jeena was convicted of a felony
and sentenced to six months and put on a work furlough, but she skipped out on that as well.
For the next 6 months, the two met only once and Jeena refused to repay Sunny for her losses. Around October 1996, while going to Orange County from San Diego, Jeena told travelling companions that she wanted to hurt or kill Sunny, offering them money and asking how to obtain a gun. After another trip from San Diego and locating Sunny's residence in Irvine
, Jeena asked several acquaintances and strangers if they would help her beat up or kill her sister. No agreement was ever reached, so nothing transpired.
cleaner, and magazines. Finally, on November 16, 1996, Bryant pretending to be selling magazines, barged in to Sunny's apartment, forcing her roommate Helen Kim to the floor and tying her up. Sayarath followed, but was sent back to the car by Jeena because she did not want him to see what would happen. Hearing the noise, Sunny used her cell phone to call the police who were less than two minutes away. Bryant found Sunny, pointed a gun at her and also tied her up, and made both women sit in the bathtub. After the police came, Bryant untied the women and was arrested. Jeena and Sayarath, already in the car, left the scene. Later that day, Jeena used Sunny's driver's license to withdraw $5,000 in cash, and attempted to acquire a $19,000 Nissan automobile
from a local dealership in Sunny's name, however the paperwork could not be completed the same day. Both Jeena and Sayarath were arrested that night in San Diego when they turned up returning her rental car.
to commit murder, two counts of burglary
, possession of a firearm, and two counts of false imprisonment
. The two teenagers were also tried as co-conspirators. Several additional twists occurred, with Sunny appearing to capitalize on the news, going on the talk shows including receiving $10,000 for her story on the TV tabloid show, Hard Copy
. Sunny said she believed Jeena never meant to kill her, but in court gave solid testimony
against her. On the first day of the trial, Sunny was lucid and well-composed, but on the third day she appeared disheveled and unable to talk or walk competently. Sunny revealed that she argued with her mother the night before on the phone, broke up with her boyfriend, and attempted suicide by overdose with several dozen sleeping pills. The trial went on without Sunny's presence. Jeena's defense argued that she never wanted to kill Sunny but only intended to scare her and get her things back. The defense did not call any of the defendant
s to the witness stand, and Sunny's testimony was never contested.
The court concluded that the presence of the bags, cleaner, and the placement of Sunny and Helen Kim in the bathtub amounted to prior preparation with conspiracy to murder, and in November 1997, Jeena was found guilty. Sunny and their mother both asked the court for leniency, but in May 1998, Jeena received the maximum sentence of 26 years to life in prison. As Bryant had possession of the loaded gun and was brutal to Helen Kim he was sentenced to 16 years. Sayarath was sentenced to eight years. A forensic psychologist
testified for the defense that Jeena had a "personality disorder
with mixed traits" that predisposed her to extreme mood swing
s. Three days after the verdict, Jeena attempted suicide with a stash of pain killers she had in her cell.
An appeal of Jeena's judgment was filed in 2000, but while the court modified it slightly to recognize improprieties with the false imprisonment charge, it rejected nearly all the defense's arguments and let the core verdict stand.
Jeena Han is serving her term in the Central California Women's Facility
in Chowchilla
located near Fresno
, and has a hard release date of 2018.
Archie Bryant and John 'Yoshi' Sayarath each served their time and have been released from custody.
documentary entitled "Sister Against Sister: The Twin Murder Plot" aired on A&E
, covering the sensational details of the case. The program was hosted by Bill Kurtis
.
In 2001, the case was profiled on The Investigators
under the title "Evil Twin."
In 2005, Snapped
, a series about true crime on the Oxygen Network, ran an episode about Jeena's plot to kill her twin sister and take over her life.
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
was a case of attempted murder
Attempted murder
Attempted murder is a crime in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.-Today:In English criminal law, attempted murder is the crime of more than merely preparing to commit unlawful killing and at the same time having a specific intention to cause the death of human being under the Queen's Peace...
of Sunny Han by her identical twin sister Jeena Han, occurring in November 1996 in Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
It quickly became a sensationalized story in the media. The case brought together several themes, including surviving a broken family through a close sisterly bond, a "good" twin sister and an "evil" twin sister who were both beautiful as well as co-valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
s at their high school, intense sibling rivalry, and a severe envy complex.
Background
The Han twins were born in South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
in April of 1974, but lived apart until they were three years old. Their mother
Mother
A mother, mum, mom, momma, or mama is a woman who has raised a child, given birth to a child, and/or supplied the ovum that grew into a child. Because of the complexity and differences of a mother's social, cultural, and religious definitions and roles, it is challenging to specify a universally...
, Boo I. Kim, took them to Orange County when they were twelve years old. She worked as a cocktail waitress, but was also a compulsive gambler, leaving the twins alone for days at a time while she went away on gambling trips. The sisters, having nobody else around, developed a strong bond in order to cope. Unable to care for them, in 1990, Boo Kim sent them to live with an uncle and aunt in Campo
Campo, California
Campo is a census-designated place located in the Mountain Empire area of southeastern San Diego County, California. The population was 2,684 at the 2010 census....
, a California city near the United States-Mexico border. Both girls did well there and excelled in school, graduating from high school as co-valedictorians. They both worked in restaurants for a time, and then Sunny went on to the University of La Verne
University of La Verne
The University of La Verne is a private research university located in La Verne, California . Founded in 1891, the university is composed of the College of Arts & Sciences, College of Business & Public Management, College of Education and Organizational Leadership, College of Law, and a Regional...
on a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
. Jeena continued working at a restaurant, and to earn money for college, she decided to become a U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
citizen and join the Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. The two grew apart, however, and spoke only once or twice by phone during the following year.
Stunned by the rigors of Air Force recruit training, Jeena tried to leave under the pretense that her father was ill, and when that ruse failed, she tried claiming to be a lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
. The Air Force finally relented and released her. In the meantime, Sunny, having failing grades for three school semesters, had her scholarship revoked, dropped out of college and began working as a receptionist. Jeena worked in a casino in Lakeside, California
Lakeside, California
Lakeside is a Census Designated Place in San Diego County, California. The population was 20,648 at the 2010 census, up from 19,560 as of the 2000 census.- History :...
as a blackjack
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
dealer and became a gambling addict
Behavioral addiction
Behavioral addiction is a form of addiction which does not rely on drugs or alcohol. Increasingly referred to as process addiction or non-substance-related addiction ) behavioral addiction includes a compulsion to repeatedly engage in an action until said action causes serious negative consequences...
herself, going into heavy debt, and in January, 1996 attempted suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. To repay her debts, Jeena stole credit cards and personal checks from friends and family, for purposes of forgery. Subsequently, she was arrested, and later skipped out on her probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
.
Jeena moved back to Orange County to live with Sunny. The two had arguments, and Jeena once stole Sunny's car. During a physical argument in May 1996, Sunny hit Jeena, breaking her nose. The police responded to four disturbances, and at one of them, arrested Sunny on an outstanding warrant for credit card theft. Sunny reportedly had stolen a friend's card and gone on a shopping spree, justifying it by saying her friend wouldn't mind because her friend was rich. While Sunny was in jail, Jeena stole Sunny's car, credit cards, ID, and savings. She earned money by charging high priced electronics with Sunny's credit cards and pawning
Pawnbroker
A pawnbroker is an individual or business that offers secured loans to people, with items of personal property used as collateral...
them with the packages still unopened. After release, Sunny pressed charges and Jeena was put in jail, with Sunny refusing to help her. Jeena was convicted of a felony
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
and sentenced to six months and put on a work furlough, but she skipped out on that as well.
For the next 6 months, the two met only once and Jeena refused to repay Sunny for her losses. Around October 1996, while going to Orange County from San Diego, Jeena told travelling companions that she wanted to hurt or kill Sunny, offering them money and asking how to obtain a gun. After another trip from San Diego and locating Sunny's residence in Irvine
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
, Jeena asked several acquaintances and strangers if they would help her beat up or kill her sister. No agreement was ever reached, so nothing transpired.
Incident
But soon after, Jeena recruited two teenagers, John Sayarath, also known as 'Yoshi', 15, and Archie Bryant, 16 and just before going to Sunny's apartment went to buy large garbage bags, duct tape, twine, gloves, Pine-SolPine-Sol
Pine-Sol is a registered trade name of Clorox for a line of household cleaning products. Although the original Pine-Sol formulation is pine oil based, all other cleaners sold under the Pine-Sol brand do not contain pine oil at all...
cleaner, and magazines. Finally, on November 16, 1996, Bryant pretending to be selling magazines, barged in to Sunny's apartment, forcing her roommate Helen Kim to the floor and tying her up. Sayarath followed, but was sent back to the car by Jeena because she did not want him to see what would happen. Hearing the noise, Sunny used her cell phone to call the police who were less than two minutes away. Bryant found Sunny, pointed a gun at her and also tied her up, and made both women sit in the bathtub. After the police came, Bryant untied the women and was arrested. Jeena and Sayarath, already in the car, left the scene. Later that day, Jeena used Sunny's driver's license to withdraw $5,000 in cash, and attempted to acquire a $19,000 Nissan automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
from a local dealership in Sunny's name, however the paperwork could not be completed the same day. Both Jeena and Sayarath were arrested that night in San Diego when they turned up returning her rental car.
Trial
After nearly a year in jail awaiting trial, Jeena Han was tried for conspiracyConspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
to commit murder, two counts of burglary
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
, possession of a firearm, and two counts of false imprisonment
False imprisonment
False imprisonment is a restraint of a person in a bounded area without justification or consent. False imprisonment is a common-law felony and a tort. It applies to private as well as governmental detention...
. The two teenagers were also tried as co-conspirators. Several additional twists occurred, with Sunny appearing to capitalize on the news, going on the talk shows including receiving $10,000 for her story on the TV tabloid show, Hard Copy
Hard Copy
Hard Copy is an American tabloid news television show that ran in syndication from 1989 to 1999. Hard Copy was aggressive in its use of questionable material on television, including gratuitous violence....
. Sunny said she believed Jeena never meant to kill her, but in court gave solid testimony
Testimony
In law and in religion, testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter. All testimonies should be well thought out and truthful. It was the custom in Ancient Rome for the men to place their right hand on a Bible when taking an oath...
against her. On the first day of the trial, Sunny was lucid and well-composed, but on the third day she appeared disheveled and unable to talk or walk competently. Sunny revealed that she argued with her mother the night before on the phone, broke up with her boyfriend, and attempted suicide by overdose with several dozen sleeping pills. The trial went on without Sunny's presence. Jeena's defense argued that she never wanted to kill Sunny but only intended to scare her and get her things back. The defense did not call any of the defendant
Defendant
A defendant or defender is any party who is required to answer the complaint of a plaintiff or pursuer in a civil lawsuit before a court, or any party who has been formally charged or accused of violating a criminal statute...
s to the witness stand, and Sunny's testimony was never contested.
The court concluded that the presence of the bags, cleaner, and the placement of Sunny and Helen Kim in the bathtub amounted to prior preparation with conspiracy to murder, and in November 1997, Jeena was found guilty. Sunny and their mother both asked the court for leniency, but in May 1998, Jeena received the maximum sentence of 26 years to life in prison. As Bryant had possession of the loaded gun and was brutal to Helen Kim he was sentenced to 16 years. Sayarath was sentenced to eight years. A forensic psychologist
Forensic psychology
Forensic psychology is the intersection between psychology and the criminal justice system. It involves understanding criminal law in the relevant jurisdictions in order to be able to interact appropriately with judges, attorneys and other legal professionals...
testified for the defense that Jeena had a "personality disorder
Personality disorder
Personality disorders, formerly referred to as character disorders, are a class of personality types and behaviors. Personality disorders are noted on Axis II of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM-IV-TR of the American Psychiatric Association.Personality disorders are...
with mixed traits" that predisposed her to extreme mood swing
Mood swing
-Associated disorders:Mood swings are commonly associated with mood disorders including bipolar disorder and depression. In patients with cases of bipolar disorder, the patient experiences serious mood swings that last for days or even weeks...
s. Three days after the verdict, Jeena attempted suicide with a stash of pain killers she had in her cell.
An appeal of Jeena's judgment was filed in 2000, but while the court modified it slightly to recognize improprieties with the false imprisonment charge, it rejected nearly all the defense's arguments and let the core verdict stand.
Jeena Han is serving her term in the Central California Women's Facility
Central California Women's Facility
Central California Women's Facility is a female-only California Department of Corrections state prison located in Chowchilla, California. It is across the road from Valley State Prison for Women. It is the largest female correctional facility in the United States. It houses the State of...
in Chowchilla
Chowchilla, California
Chowchilla is a city in Madera County, California, United States. Chowchilla is located northwest of Madera, at an elevation of 240 feet . It is a principal city of the Madera–Chowchilla Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 18,720 at the 2010 census, up from 11,127 at the 2000...
located near Fresno
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
, and has a hard release date of 2018.
Archie Bryant and John 'Yoshi' Sayarath each served their time and have been released from custody.
Legacy
In November 1999, an American JusticeAmerican Justice
American Justice is an American criminal justice television program on the A&E Network, hosted by Bill Kurtis. The show features interesting or notable cases, such as the Selena Murder of a Star, Scarsdale Diet doctor murder, the Hillside Stranglers, Matthew Shepard, or the Wells Fargo heist, with...
documentary entitled "Sister Against Sister: The Twin Murder Plot" aired on A&E
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
, covering the sensational details of the case. The program was hosted by Bill Kurtis
Bill Kurtis
Bill Kurtis is an American television journalist, producer, narrator, and news anchor. He is also the current host of A&E crime and news documentary shows, including Investigative Reports, American Justice, and Cold Case Files...
.
In 2001, the case was profiled on The Investigators
The Investigators
The Investigators was a children's science program, presented by children, on Channel 4 in Great Britain. It showed various interesting experiments from how to blow a balloon up with yeast to building bridges...
under the title "Evil Twin."
In 2005, Snapped
Snapped
Snapped is an American true crime television series that airs on the Oxygen Network. Snapped debuted on August 6, 2004 and is produced in conjunction with Jupiter Entertainment.-Synopsis:...
, a series about true crime on the Oxygen Network, ran an episode about Jeena's plot to kill her twin sister and take over her life.
External links
- Family feud leads to twin's murder plot
- 'Evil twin' found guilty of plotting to kill sister
- Court of Appeal verdict The People v. Jeen Young Han et al. 2/25/00
- The Investigator's take on the case
- Sister Against Sister: The Twin Murder Plot
- Sister Against Sister - American Justice at TV.com
- Snapped - Jeena Han
- "Evil Twins" true crime paperback - Amazon.com
- Los Angeles Times gavel coverage
- Los Angeles Times updated gavel coverage
- N.Y. Times - Woman Jailed 26 Years to Life
- Orange County Register - Evil Twin Murder Plot