In a recently released 911 call, a woman who had been bound and gagged by her estranged husband could be heard pleading for assistance before she was buried alive.
During the entire seven minute call. After being hogtied and gagged by her estranged husband Chae Kyong An, 53, at her home, Young Sook An, 42, was heard making mute screams in a desperate attempt to get help.
Hold on a second, I’m going to start getting help started for you, the dispatcher said as she struggled to understand the desperate woman but quickly realized Young Sook was in danger.
But only a short while later, according to the authorities, Chae dragged Young Sook to the garage, where he allegedly broke her watch before throwing her into a minivan and driving off to the nearby woods where he planned to bury her alive.
His car was seen passing by a police SUV that had just arrived at the woman’s home in a Washington suburb about 60 miles southwest of Seattle on surveillance footage from a neighbor’s home.
Then, over a disagreement regarding their divorce and finances, Chae is said to have taken Young sook to the woods in Lacey, Washington, which is about seven miles away, where he stabbed her and buried her.
She had to spend hours digging herself out before she could escape.
Chae Kyong entered a not guilty plea on Tuesday in relation to charges of attempted first-degree mu*rder, first-degree kidnapping for domestic violence, and first-degree domestic violence assault.
He is being detained without bail and must appear in court once more on November 16.
On October 16, around 1 p.m., Chae allegedly attacked his wife at the house they used to share.
According to reports, he punched Young Sook and duct taped her hands behind her back after following her into the bedroom where she had gone to change.
Additionally, he is alleged to have taped her eyes, thighs, and ankles.
Before Chae dragged her to the garage and smashed the watch with a hammer, Young Sook was still able to call 911 on her Apple Watch and send an emergency notification to her daughter, 20, and her best friend.
An’s 2006 Dodge Caravan was then used to transport her after being dragged there.
The van can be seen parked at the family home and then speeding away in surveillance video from a neighbor’s home.
However, the call went on through the broken Apple Watch, and the dispatcher promised to stay with her until the police showed up at the house.
According to FOX News, after about five minutes of silence, police could be heard approaching the house and shouting, “Lacey Police Department, make yourself known.”
Police claimed that at the time, they were not aware that the woman had been kidnapped.
“Unknown trouble call,” according to the dispatch, said Sgt. Shannon Barnes. Because of this, “[the officer] had no knowledge of anything he was walking into.”
Chae Kyong, meanwhile, allegedly stabbed Young in the chest before burying her alive in a grave that was 19 inches deep in a wooded area.
According to the probable cause report, “a heavy tree” was also “put on top of her.”
It continues, “After being buried, she could hear her husband walking around the hole and dirt being piled on top of her.”
She claimed that her husband had told her she would pass away.
Fortunately, Young was able to survive. She later recalled to authorities how she was having trouble breathing but kept dirt off her face by wriggling around constantly.
Young Sook claimed that as the day gave way to night, she was able to free herself from the duct tape.
She removed the tape from her eyes to reveal the steaming window and lit interior of the van.
Then she stood up and started running, eventually finding a house after about 30 minutes.
Before 1:00 a.m. on October 17, she was allegedly discovered hiding behind a shed in a house’s front yard. The locals had dialed 911.
She exclaimed, “My husband is trying to k*ill me!” when police arrived and recognized her as the missing female. Please help!
When Young Sook eventually made her way free and dialed 911, a Thurston County Superior Court document claims that she still had duct tape wrapped around her neck, lower face, and ankles.
Her clothing and hair were covered in dirt, and she also had severe bruises on her legs, arms, and head.
About six hours later, the police located Chae Kyong standing close to the shallow grave in the woods. At the scene, they also discovered pieces of the Apple Watch attached to duct tape.
The probable cause report states that the house has “a history of domestic and violence.”
When the police arrived at the house, Young Sook’s friend, who had received the emergency notification, told the officers that Chae had previously said to his estranged wife, “I’m not going down alone.”
Young Sook is currently asking the judge to keep her husband incarcerated. She called her husband, who had worked in intelligence for the US Military, “extremely smart.”
According to a statement by Young Sook – delivered on her behalf by her attorney in court – she has requested he continue to be held without bail.
‘Please no bail. I am really afraid for my life. I just want to emphasize that I fear him so much and he will kill me again if he is out.’
