"I don't need anything, I'm going to kill you today!"
In Lacey, about 60 miles southwest of Seattle, Young Sook An, an Asian-American woman, had just wanted to discuss the distribution of her divorce with her husband, but she never imagined that she would be treated like a nightmare by her husband.
Ahn Young-sook was not only tied up and beaten by her husband Chae Kyong An, but also stabbed in the chest several times and even buried alive!
Thankfully, the Lady of Justice finally came, and on Monday morning, Ahn Chae-kyung pleaded guilty and apologized to everyone, and was sentenced to 13 years in prison and three years in community custody.
On an October afternoon in October 2022, Ahn Young-sook, 42, returned home from church to find her husband, 53, Ahn Chae-kyung, waiting at home for a long time. Considering that the two are going through the separation and divorce process, and in order to prevent the children from witnessing their parents' quarrels, Ahn Young-sook immediately asks the children to go out to buy ice cream.
Soon after, the dispute between the two escalated, and Ahn Chae-kyung began to violently attack his wife. According to Ahn Young-sook's statement in court, Ahn Chae-kyung tied her limbs and eyes with ropes after beating her violently at home. Ahn Young-sook was in a hurry to call for help with the help of the Apple Watch, but after being discovered by her husband, she smashed the watch.
Then, a frenzied Ahn Chae-kyung stuffed his wife into a stuffy van and drove dozens of miles to the depths of a desolate and gloomy wood.
In the darkness of midnight, only the sound of a shovel digging heavily could be heard. Ahn Chae-kyung dug a shallow pit for his wife in the woods, threw her to the ground, and stabbed her several times in the chest.
Ahn Young-sook was in great pain, but there was nothing she could do. She begged her husband to let her go, missed their children, and begged Ahn Chae-kyung to think about the children too. But An Caijing ignored it, and roared instead: "I don't need anything, I'm going to kill you today!"
After saying that, he buried Ahn Young-sook alive in the dirt with a shovel. In order to prevent his wife from escaping, An Caijing even lingered on the edge of the shallow pit for a long time, throwing some dirt into the pit from time to time to ensure that his wife who was buried alive was completely covered up.
Buried alive in the dark, damp earth, Ahn Young-sook gasped, her limbs stiffened, and the fear of death followed her. Just as she was almost unconscious, she struggled to untie the tape that bound her and carefully carved a breathing passage out of the dirt.
In this way, Ahn Young-sook survived the pit for a long 12 hours, and it was not until it was completely dark that she was able to completely climb out of the shallow pit. After stumbling and escaping for about 30 minutes, she finally found a household, called them for help and called the police.
When the police arrived at the scene, they saw Ahn Young-sook, covered in mud, with messy hair and wounds, trembling and shouting in panic: "My husband wants to kill me!"
After Ahn Young-sook regained her freedom, her husband Ahn Chae-kyung's evil deeds were also completely exposed. In court, the prosecution pointed out that Ahn had "carefully planned the murder" and "had a clear purpose of killing his wife."
The prosecution also disclosed that Ahn Chae-kyung had previously threatened his wife, "I would rather kill you than give you a dime of pension."
Facing the judge, the traumatized Ahn Young-sook burst into tears and told the thrilling 12 hours in a heart-wrenching manner. She said that she was tied up and buried alive by her husband, and several times she thought that she would die and never see her beloved children again.
"No one can take my precious life. Despite such inhumane treatment, I survived. Ahn Young-sook said happily. Although a life is saved, the physical and mental trauma will last for a long time. "From that day on, my life and that of my children was shattered, and I was doomed to mental and physical trauma for the rest of my life," she said to the judge. ”
Ahn Chae-kyung's defense lawyer tried to exonerate him by saying that he was a veteran suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress syndrome) and was at the lowest point in his life, homeless, isolated from family and friends, and severely mentally disturbed.
Even so, the court eventually sentenced Ahn Chae-kyung, who committed a felony, to 13 years in prison, suspended for three years of community service, and banned from contact with the victim Ahn Young-sook for life.
Although Ahn Chae-kyung expressed repentance in court, this heinous case of being buried alive will undoubtedly leave a permanent shadow and pain for his wife and children. The prosecution said it hoped that the heavy sentence would allow Ahn Young-sook and the children to start their recovery again.
Ahn Young-sook's road to recovery will be long and challenging, but her courage and determination set an example for all victims of domestic violence. Community and support groups have said they will continue to provide the necessary support and resources to help her and her family recover from this dark experience.