Lacey man sentenced for attempting to bury wife alive

Washington wife buried alive: Muffled screams revealed in violent kidnapping caught in Apple Watch 911 call

The suspect vehicle speeds past a responding officer, who is soon heard on the open 911 line arriving at a home just moments after a violent kidnapping that led to a Washington woman being buried alive for hours in the woods outside town. Chae An, 53, allegedly attacked his estranged wife Young An, 42, in a dispute over money amid their contested divorce, tied her up with duct tape, stabbed her and buried her alive in a 19-inch-deep hole in the woods, according to police in Lacey. One camera caught him speeding past a police car – with the victim tied up with duct tape in the back, police confirmed to Fox News Digital.

LACEY, Wash. - A Lacey man accused of trying to kill his estranged wife and burying her alive in the woods was sentenced to more than 13 years in prison on Monday.

Chae Kyong An, 54, was initially charged with attempted murder in the first degree-domestic violence, kidnapping in the first degree-domestic violence, assault in the first degree-domestic violence, and felony harassment-threat to kill-domestic violence.

The Thurston County Prosecuting Office told FOX 13 An was sentenced to 165 months in prison followed by three years of community custody.

On Oct. 16, 2022, the Washington State Patrol issued a missing endangered person alert for a 42-year-old woman who was taken out of her home.

According to charging documents, An and his estranged wife were meeting up to talk about their relationship when An attacked the woman, punching her in the head and throwing her to the ground. He then duct taped her hands behind her back and covered her eyes and ankles.

Chae An (FOX 13 Seattle / Handout)

When Chae left the room for a moment, the woman said she was able to send an emergency notification using her Apple Watch. Dispatchers told police they could hear muffled screaming and the sounds of a struggle, presumably from the woman who was being kidnapped.

According to documents, when Chae realized she was still wearing the watch, he hit it with a hammer before putting her into a van and driving into the woods.

Documents say the woman heard her estranged husband digging and at that point he stabbed her with a sharp object. The woman told police that she was dragged and put into the ground, covered with dirt, and then Chae put a tree on top of her.

She said she struggled to breathe as dirt kept falling onto her face. The woman believe she was buried for several hours and Chae told her she was going to die.

Documents say when it became dark, she wiggled her body, got the tape off her arms, legs and eyes. She saw that Chae was in the van, and then was able to move the tree off of her, get out of the hole, and run through the woods.

Just after 1 a.m. on Oct. 17, a homeowner was awakened by someone pounding on the door, asking for help. At the door was the woman reported missing/kidnapped, and she told the residents that her husband was trying to kill her.

The residents called for help, and a deputy responded. The deputy said he saw the woman hiding by a shed, and she ran up to him and said "my husband is trying to kill me. Help me."

The deputy said she was severely bruised and sill had duct tape on her neck, face and ankles.

"My husband is still out in the woods somewhere," she said.

The woman walked about 30 minutes through the woods to get help, police said. The home she knocked on was approximately eight miles away from the home from where she was taken.