The Iowa Supreme Court has reversed a decision from the District Court in the trial of former Simpson College Professor Gowun Park, who is accused of murdering her husband.

The District Court had suspended the use of certain police interrogations of Park, stating the interviewing police officers had deceptively not told Park of her husband’s death at the hospital, and that ruling was affirmed by the Iowa Court of Appeals. The Iowa Supreme Court reversed the District Court ruling and vacated the Court of Appeals decision, stating the police are allowed to be deceptive in interviews as long as the deception does not overcome the suspect’s free will and the police may not make deceptive promises that would be likely to trigger a false confession.

Park was charged after admitting to tying her husband Sung Woo Nam to a chair, stuffing clothing in his mouth and duct-taping a towel over his head in their home, ultimately leading to his death. According to court documents, Park claims she has videos of her husband consenting to being tied up, that her husband was abusive and violent, and threatened to harm himself.

Park has pleaded not guilty to the charge of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping.

https://www.iowacourts.gov/iowa-courts/supreme-court/supreme-court-opinions/case/21-0756