Washington man who buried his wife alive sentenced for attempted murder
Chae Kyong An, the man from Washington who attempted to murder his wife by burying her alive in October 2022, has been sentenced to over 13 years in prison.
Key points:
- Chae was convicted of second-degree attempted murder after he took his wife, Young An, into the woods near Lacey, binding and stabbing her before burying her alive on Oct. 16, 2022.
- On Monday, he was sentenced to 165 months behind bars, followed by three years of probation.
Catch up:
- The ordeal took place after Chae and Young argued about their ongoing divorce and finances at the victim’s house. When Young asked him to leave, Chae punched her multiple times before binding her eyes, hands and body with duct tape.
- She was able to briefly contact the police on her Apple watch before Chae destroyed it with a hammer. He then drove her into the woods, where he stabbed her in the chest, put her in a shallow grave and placed a tree on top of her.
- Young managed to keep dirt off her face by wiggling around as she laid in the grave for 12 hours. After tearing off the duct tape, she ran for about 30 minutes until she found a house to plead for help.
The details:
- In court, Young recalled the incident, saying, “I told him to think about our children, he said, ‘I don’t need anything, today I’m going to kill you.’ He dug the ground, and he threw me in the hole, he stabbed me several times with his knife on my chest, and then he buried me alive.”
- Chae’s defense cited his struggles with PTSD and homelessness as contributing factors to his actions. Chae also acknowledged his crimes, saying, “I wish that I could go back and never enter that house that day and walk away. I’m sorry everyone, and for causing terrible pain because of my foolish act.”
- Along with his prison sentence, Chae received a lifetime no-contact order with the victim, and he will not be allowed to own a firearm when he is released from prison.
- A Thurston County Judge commended Young’s strength and said he hoped the sentencing would aid her in healing. The judge said, “You are strong and you are brave. I am hopeful that today’s hearing will be the close of this chapter, and will make it possible to focus on your emotional and mental healing for yourself and your children.”
If you or anyone you know may be experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233, visit thehotline.org or text START to 88788 for additional guidance and resources.
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