Woman Escapes After She Was Allegedly Buried Alive By Her Husband

Kedean BrownOctober 21, 2022

A 42-year-old woman from Washington state, America, narrowly avoided death after allegedly being buried alive in a shallow grave by her husband, Chae Kyong An.

According to reports from People magazine, police went to the woman’s home on Monday afternoon after they had received a call during which “muffled screaming and sounds of a struggle” were heard. When officers arrived at the home, there was no one there, but they found the garage door open and duct tape in the house, which authorities now believe was used on the woman. Later, the victim’s children arrived at the house and confirmed that both of their parents were there before they left to go to the store. An Endangered Missing Persons Alert was issued for the mother, who had a domestic violence protection order against Chae, and a description of his vehicle was released.

It was approximately 1 a.m. on Tuesday when Thurston County deputies responded to a house call. The missing mother had sought help from the occupants in the house and told them that her husband was trying to kill her. There was duct tape wrapped around her neck, lower face, and ankles, and she had sustained extensive bruising to her legs, arms, and head. Her hair and clothing were also covered in dirt.

The woman reportedly told Lacey Police Department (LPD) detectives that after kidnapping her, her husband had driven her into the woods, then stabbed and buried her alive. She was conscious as he threw dirt on top of her and believes she survived the ordeal by wiggling her face around to create some air pockets. After spending what appeared to be hours in the grave, she struggled to get free and then walked until she found help.

Several hours after the woman’s safe return, Chae’s vehicle was spotted by a witness, and he was taken into custody. He is being held without bail and has been charged with first-degree assault/domestic violence, kidnapping/domestic violence, and attempted murder.