The Sixth District California Court of Appeal affirmed in full the first-degree murder conviction of Sang Ji on March 21.
Ji was convicted in March 2020 for the December 2017 killing of his wife, Yoon “Clara” Ji. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison.
In its opinion, the court said it “considered each claim on the merits, and neither singly nor cumulatively do they establish prejudice requiring the reversal of the conviction.”
According to court documents, Ji claimed that the finding that he killed Yoon in a willful, deliberate and premeditated manner is not supported by substantial evidence, that he received ineffective assistance of counsel through several actions or inactions such as counsel’s failure to file a motion for acquittal following the prosecution’s case-in-chief, representations made during his counsel’s opening statement and closing argument, counsel’s adducing of evidence in the defense’s case that defendant alleges was unfavorable and counsel’s lack of objection to evidence of condoms that demonstrated sexual activity between defendant and Jung Choi.
It also states Ji believes that the trial court improperly instructed the jury on an invalid legal theory of murder and that the cumulative effect of the defense counsel’s multiple errors deprived him of a fair trial.
In a news release, the San Benito County District Attorney’s Office said the appellate court also denied Ji’s petition to appear before the court. It adds that Ji still has the right to appeal the decision to the California Supreme Court, though the court has no obligation to review the case.
Ji and Choi were arrested in December 2017, after one of Ji’s daughters reported her mother missing. According to a report by the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office, the daughters were suspicious of Ji’s claim that his wife had returned to South Korea. One daughter became increasingly concerned after relatives in South Korea told her Yoon Ji had not returned. Ji eventually led investigators to Yoon’s Ji’s body buried in a shallow grave later that month.
Choi pled no contest and was sentenced to 11 years in state prison for voluntary manslaughter for Yoon Ji’s death.
“The District Attorney’s Office expresses its continued condolences to the family of Yoon Ji,” the release said.
BenitoLink’s coverage on Yoon Ji’s death:
Pair arrested on suspicion of murder and conspiracy to commit murder (December 2017)
Missing local woman’s body found buried near San Juan Bautista; Two accused of her killing appear at superior court (December 2017)
DA denies Sang Ji confessed to killing his wife as case moves to possible trial (January 2018)
A life taken: Community remembers Clara Yoon Ji (February 2018)
Sheriff’s investigator: Sang Ji says Jung Choi killed his wife (March 2018)
Preliminary hearing set for Oct. 22 to determine if Choi and Ji murder trial moves forward
(July 18)
Ji and Choi murder case gets January hearing (January 2019)
Preliminary hearing for murder suspects Ji and Choi pushed to March (January 2019)
Hollister murder suspects back in court, set to return in march (February 2019)
Ji and Choi to be tried murder (March 19)
Ji and Choi will be tried separately (April 2019)
Sang Ji hearing moved to May 1 (April 2019)
Ji and Choi hearings delayed (May 2019)
Sang Ji competent to stand trial (May 2019)
Sang Ji turns down voluntary manslaughter plea deal (July 2019)
Defense strategies block hearings again in Yoon Ji murder case (August 2019)
Ji and Choi trial setting hearing is Oct. 4 (September 2019)
Ji and Choi trial set for March 9 (January 2020)
Jung Choi pleads no contest to voluntary manslaughter (January 2020)
Sang Ji convicted of first degree murder (March 2020)
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