We, the undersigned, support the clemency petition for Sung Koo Kim. We are alarmed that this man, who is suffering from multiple mental illnesses and had no prior criminal record, received more than 11 years of prison for non-violent, property theft crimes. We encourage you to grant the clemency petition so that Sung can be released to his family and obtain treatment for his mental illnesses.

Sung received an unjust and disproportionate punishment because of an unfortunate mistake. He was incorrectly named as a person of interest in the disappearance of Brooke Wilberger. We know Sung had nothing to do with the Wilberger case, as the real killer has confessed. In a September 2009 Oregonian article, the lead detective in the Wilberger case revealed that even though the police had publicly ruled out Sung early in the investigation, there was a “rift” with prosecutors who still wanted to pursue Sung. As a result of this “rift”, Sung did not receive the appropriate punishment for his actions, receiving a prison term that is longer than others who have been found guilty of attempted murder, and murder itself.

Sung's actions are the result of his suffering from multiple mental illnesses, including (1) severe or major depression, (2) schizoid affective disorder, (3) social anxiety, and (4) fetishism. Since his arrest, several reputable doctors have all concluded that Sung is not a danger to society and that his illnesses are treatable. Sung is not receiving the treatment that he needs in prison and his condition has deteriorated. He has been in prison since June 2004 and has served enough time for his actions. After accounting for good behavior, Sung has approximately three more years left to serve in his sentence. With a $52 million dollar budget cut to the Department of Corrections this past June, we are perplexed that someone like Sung is still being kept behind bars.

It would be a disservice to the people of Oregon to deny Sung's clemency petition. Additional tax dollars would be spent unwisely and more importantly, a member of our community is being denied treatment for illnesses that are treatable. Before the onset of his mental illnesses, Sung was like any one of us. He did well in school, graduating from college with a degree in Genetics and Cellular Biology. He received recognition awards from Intel for outstanding work and being a team player. Sung is determined to overcome his mental illnesses and strive towards a normal life again. His family and friends have pledged to help him every step of the way. In the future, he hopes to work as a genetics researcher and help others suffering from mental illnesses like himself.

We believe the interests of all are best served by giving Sung the treatment that he needs sooner, rather than later. We strongly urge you to grant Sung's petition for clemency and remedy this unfortunate situation.