It sounds like a horror movie trope. You know the one—a shallow grave, a panicked victim, and a desperate clawing at the dirt. But for Young Sook An, a 42-year-old woman in Lacey, Washington, this wasn't cinema. It was a Monday. In October 2022, the world watched in collective shock as details emerged of a woman buried alive by her husband in what can only be described as a calculated, cold-blooded attempt at murder. She survived. Honestly, the fact that she’s alive today is nothing short of a miracle, or perhaps a testament to the sheer adrenaline of someone refusing to die.
Most people think they’d freeze in that situation. Young didn't.
She was duct-taped. Her hands and ankles were bound. She was tossed into a hole in the woods and covered with a heavy tree. Her husband, Chae Kyong An, 53, didn't just lose his temper; he planned this. They were in the middle of a messy divorce, a situation that unfortunately escalates into violence far more often than our society likes to admit. The motive? Money. Specifically, his interest in her retirement savings. It's a grisly reminder that the most dangerous place for a woman is often her own home.
The Night a Woman Buried Alive by Her Husband Fought Back
The timeline is chilling. It started at their home where the couple was discussing their divorce. Suddenly, Chae attacked. He tied her up in the bedroom, but she managed to use her Apple Watch to send an emergency notification to her daughter and a friend. She even managed to call 911, though she couldn't speak. The dispatcher heard muffled screaming and the sounds of a struggle.
By the time police arrived at the house, the garage door was open and the van was gone.
He had driven her to a remote wooded area. He stabbed her. He put her in the ground. According to court documents and Young's own harrowing testimony, she spent hours in that hole. She could hear him walking around above her. She could feel the weight of the dirt pressing down on her chest, making every breath a battle. This wasn't just a crime of passion; it was an execution attempt. He had even used duct tape over her eyes and mouth.
Think about that for a second. The darkness. The silence of the woods. The realization that the person you once shared a life with is currently shoveling dirt onto your face.
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She survived by wiggling her face. She kept a small pocket of air around her nose by moving her head back and forth against the soil. When she finally felt the forest go silent—when she was sure he had left—she tore at the tape. She crawled out of the earth. She ran for nearly half an hour through the woods until she found a shed on a stranger's property. When the homeowner found her, she was still covered in dirt, duct tape hanging from her neck, begging for help because her husband was trying to kill her.
Why This Case Is Different From the Urban Legends
We’ve all heard the stories of "premature burial." In the 19th century, people were so terrified of it they invented "safety coffins" with bells and breathing tubes. But those were accidents—medical mistakes where a comatose person was mistaken for dead. This case is different because it’s a manifestation of extreme domestic control.
When a woman is buried alive by her husband, it isn't just about the act of killing. It’s about erasure. It’s about putting someone in a place where they will never be found, effectively deleting them from existence.
The Statistics We Ignore
- Domestic violence remains the leading cause of injury to women—more than car accidents and muggings combined.
- The period during a divorce or separation is statistically the most lethal time for a victim.
- Strangulation and binding are high-level indicators that a partner will eventually attempt homicide.
Chae Kyong An was eventually captured and charged with first-degree attempted murder, first-degree kidnapping, and first-degree assault. In 2024, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Many advocates argued this wasn't enough. They pointed out that Young Sook An is essentially living a life sentence of trauma. Every time she closes her eyes, she’s back in that hole. Every time she feels a tight space, the panic returns.
The Psychological Warfare of Survival
What does it do to a person's brain to be discarded like trash? Psychologists who work with high-trauma survivors, like Dr. Lenore Walker who pioneered research on Battered Woman Syndrome, note that the recovery process for "near-miss" homicides is incredibly complex.
Young Sook An didn't just survive a physical assault. She survived the ultimate betrayal of the marital contract.
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In her victim impact statement, she spoke about the terror that still grips her. She asked the judge for the maximum sentence. She talked about the "hell" she endured in those woods. It’s important to realize that for the victim, the story doesn't end when the handcuffs click shut on the perpetrator. The media moves on to the next headline, but the woman buried alive by her husband has to learn how to breathe in open air again without feeling like she’s suffocating.
The Role of Technology in Modern Survival
One weird, modern twist in this case was the Apple Watch. It was her lifeline. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword, though. While technology can alert authorities, it’s also frequently used by abusers to track their victims via GPS. In this instance, the quick thinking to trigger an SOS probably saved her life. If the police hadn't been alerted so early, they wouldn't have known to look for her in the woods until it was far too late.
Misconceptions About "Snapping"
People love to say, "He just snapped." It’s a convenient way to explain away horrific violence. But if you look at the Chae Kyong An case, he didn't snap. He had the duct tape. He had the location picked out. He had the shovel.
The idea of the "woman buried alive by her husband" usually follows a pattern of escalating coercive control. This includes:
- Financial abuse (controlling the bank accounts).
- Isolation from family and friends.
- Threats of self-harm or harm to others if the victim leaves.
- Detailed planning of "what would happen" if she ever walked away.
When we frame these crimes as "sudden breaks in character," we do a disservice to the victims. We ignore the warning signs that were likely there for months or years. Honestly, the neighborhood probably thought they were a normal, quiet couple. That's the scariest part. The monster isn't a guy in a mask in an alleyway; it’s the guy who knows your coffee order and where you keep your spare keys.
Lessons from the Young Sook An Case
What can we actually do with this information? It’s easy to read this as "true crime" and move on, but there are practical takeaways for anyone who might be in a volatile situation or knows someone who is.
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First off, have a "go-bag" that your partner doesn't know about. This isn't being paranoid; it's being prepared. If you're going through a divorce, especially one involving significant assets like retirement funds, do not meet your spouse alone in a private residence. It sounds cold, but that's the reality of high-conflict separations.
Secondly, understand the limitations of the law. Chae got 13 years. In the eyes of the law, that’s "justice served." For Young, it means he’ll be out while she’s still dealing with the physical and emotional scars of being buried. We need to push for harsher sentencing in cases where the "intent to torture" is evident. Being buried alive isn't just a quick way to kill someone; it's a slow, agonizing process.
Strategic Safety Steps for High-Risk Individuals
- Silence the Tech: If you suspect you are being followed, check your car for AirTags and your phone for shared location settings.
- The 911 Silent Call: If you can't talk, dial 911 and leave the line open. Dispatchers are trained to listen for background noise and can often triangulate your location even if you can't speak.
- Documentation: Keep a record of threats. Not on your phone where he can see it—use a hidden cloud-based document or leave a physical journal with a trusted friend.
Moving Forward After the Unthinkable
The story of the woman buried alive by her husband is a grim one, but Young Sook An's survival is also a story of incredible human resilience. She chose to fight. She chose to dig. She chose to run.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 800-799-7233. You can also text "START" to 88788. You don't have to wait for things to get "that bad" before you ask for help.
The legal system often fails to prevent these crimes, focusing instead on punishing them after the fact. We need to move toward a model of early intervention. This means taking every threat seriously—even the ones that sound like "he's just blowing off steam." Because as we saw in Lacey, Washington, sometimes the threat is a shovel and a shallow grave.
The recovery journey for Young Sook An is ongoing. She has become a symbol of survival in the domestic violence community, showing that even when the world is literally trying to cover you up, you can find the strength to break through the surface. It’s not about "moving on"—it's about moving forward with the knowledge that you are stronger than the person who tried to destroy you.
Actionable Safety Insights
- Audit Your Privacy: Ensure your "Find My" or location-sharing apps are only visible to people you trust implicitly.
- Safety in Numbers: During divorce proceedings, use a third-party location for all exchanges, such as a police station parking lot or a very crowded public space.
- Emergency SOS: Learn the "SOS" shortcut on your specific smartphone model. On iPhones, it’s usually holding the side button and a volume button. On many Androids, it’s pressing the power button five times rapidly.
- Trust the Intuition: If you feel like your partner is capable of extreme violence, you are probably right. Do not second-guess your survival instinct.
- Legal Protections: Seek a Protection From Abuse (PFA) order or a Restraining Order immediately if threats are made, but remember that a piece of paper is not a physical shield; it must be part of a larger safety plan.