The nation’s top court on Friday upheld the heavy prison term for a middle-aged defendant in a rare murder case in which the victim’s body remained unfound.

The 42-year-old man, surnamed Park, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for burying his 37-year-old business partner alive during a quarrel over money. The victim was last seen sometime in 2008.

The absence of the corpse was a big challenge for prosecutors.

Charges were filed against Park based on testimony from witnesses and circumstantial evidence.

“Even though the body was never found and that the location of a burial site was never revealed, there is credibility in the testimony of witnesses,” the Supreme Court said in its ruling.

The rare murder case without the victim’s body drew heavy media attention and required a batch of forensic specialists to prove Park’s responsibility. (Yonhap News)