Sentence hearing set on April 22 for Chae Kyong An, suspect of attempted murder of ex-wife

The sentence hearing for Chae Kyong An, convicted of the attempted murder of his ex-wife, Young Sook An, is set to take place on April 22 at 9 a.m.

The incident, which transpired on October 16, 2022, began in their residence at 3800 Rossberg Street SE.

The couple, amidst divorce proceedings, engaged in a heated discussion on the day of the incident.

Chae allegedly became enraged, physically assaulted Young, and bound her arms, legs, and mouth.

Young alerted authorities when Chae left the room momentarily, contacting 911 and sending SOS messages to her emergency contacts through her smartwatch. However, dispatch could only discern muffled sounds due to the duct tape covering her mouth.

Lacey Police Department (LPD) officers responded to the distress call, but the couple were no longer present in their residence.

A search ensued, with authorities treating the case as a kidnapping.

At midnight the next day, Young appeared in a residence on Stedman Road SE and sought help from the residents.

Thurston County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) deputies responded to the scene, and the victim narrated the details of her abduction., both at the scene and later gave more details at the hospital that treated her wounds.

In her home, Chae attacked her and bound her thoroughly with duct tape.

While he was out of the room, Young used her smartwatch to contact 911 and her emergency contacts. She could not speak due to her mouth being covered, so she yelled.

Young detailed being forcibly taken from her home with her hands and ankles bound in duct tape, driven to a secluded wooded area, and subjected to a near-fatal ordeal where she was stabbed and buried alive.

“Young said a heavy tree was put on top of her. Young said after being put in the ground she could hear her husband walking around the hole and dirt being put on top of her. Young said she had a hard time breathing and tried to keep the dirt from being on her face,” the Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office narrated Young’s statement taken from the official investigative reports.

The victim managed to free herself from the tape on her arms and legs, escaped the hole, and ran away from the scene where the suspect’s van was still parked.

The victim further said that the suspect also stabbed her breasts several times using a long, thin knife.