A court has denied a retrial request filed by one of the Korean-American defendants involved in the notorious 1992 ‘Honor Roll Murder’ case, which included Sunny Hills High School students in Fullerton, a crime that shocked the nation.
The Orange County Superior Court on April 2 rejected the petition submitted by Kirn Young Kim, 49, who sought to overturn his murder conviction based on recent changes to California criminal law.
Kim was one of five individuals involved in the killing and one of three Korean-American suspects, along with Kang Moon-bong and Charles Choi. He filed the petition in February, arguing that his conviction should be invalidated under revised legal standards.
At the time of the crime, California law applied the ‘natural and probable consequences’ doctrine, allowing accomplices to be convicted of murder even if they did not directly commit the killing. Under that framework, Kim was found guilty and sentenced to prison along with the other defendants.
However, California law has since been amended, requiring clearer evidence that a defendant either intended the killing or directly participated in it. Kim argued that he neither knew of the primary perpetrator’s intent nor took part in the actual murder.
The court disagreed.
Judge Gary S. Paer ruled that prosecutors had sufficiently demonstrated that Kim could still be convicted of murder under the current law. The judge stated there was “overwhelming direct and circumstantial evidence” showing that Kim aided and abetted the killing with malice.
The court also pointed to Kim’s actions after the crime, noting that he wore latex gloves and removed his shoes while disposing of a vehicle to avoid leaving fingerprints or footprints. The judge said such efforts to conceal evidence indicated clear awareness of guilt.
Additionally, the court found that Kim had prior knowledge of the murder plan and was aware that a weapon could be used. Prosecutors also highlighted that shortly after the crime, the main perpetrator, Robert Chan (18 at the time), took $20 from the victim’s wallet and handed it to Kim—evidence the court cited as proof that Kim benefited from the crime.
The ruling effectively closes Kim’s attempt to have his conviction overturned.
Kim was previously granted parole in 2012 after being recognized as a model inmate.
