Man says he was 'overmedicated' when he buried his wife alive as he's sentenced to over 13 years in prison

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

THURSTON COUNTY, WASHINGTON: A judge sentenced a Washington man, who tried to bury his estranged wife alive, to more than 13 years in prison on April 22, after he put the blame on his mental illnesses and being "overmedicated and undertreated" for PTSD.  

On October 16, 2022, Chae Kyong An, 54, kidnapped his wife, Young An, from her home in Lacey, and brutally beat, stabbed, and then bound her with duct tape before burying her in a shallow grave. 

In a Facebook post, the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney's Office addressed the April 22 sentencing hearing, writing, "The defendant’s estranged wife bravely addressed the court to tell her story, stating that it was painful to talk about what she had been through. She added, 'With courage, I must tell my story.'"

They added, "Prosecutors credited the victim with saving her own life as she remained silent and still for hours after being buried alive. She then managed to escape and ran as far as she could to get help. We hope that the conclusion of this case will allow the victim the time and space to focus on healing from this event."

Chae Kyong An's wife was in the shallow grave for 12 agonizing hours before she managed to escape

Chae completely bound Young in duct tape even going as far as to cover her eyes, but she managed to use her Apple Watch to notify trusted contacts, including her oldest child, of an emergency before she was taken into the woods and buried in the grave. 

"Dispatch advised they could hear muffled screaming and sounds of a struggle. Officers arrived and found the garage door to the residence open," wrote the authorities in an October 2022 release. 

They added, "Shortly thereafter the children of the resident arrived home and told officers their mother and father were at the home when they left to go to the store about a half an hour prior. Officers cleared the home and no one was located. There was used duct tape found in the home; it is believed to have been used on the victim."

At the time, Young had a domestic violence protection order against Chae. 

According to the authorities, she was dragged into the woods and buried in a hole that measured 65 inches long by 30 inches wide by 19 inches deep.

Young believes she was in the hole for 12 hours before she was able to wiggle out of the duct tape and escape.

A resident of Stedman Road SE awoke the following day, October 17, to the sound of the woman banging on the door and pleading for assistance, as per Fox Seattle affiliate KCPQ.

When police arrived, the woman, who was Young, told them that her husband, Chae, was trying to kill her, before narrating the horrific incident. 

After escaping the shallow grave, Young walked 20 to 30 minutes through the woods to reach the Stedman Road residence.

Defense claims Chae Kyong An was experiencing PTSD symptoms when he tried to bury his wife alive

According to Seattle NBC affiliate KING, he eventually came to a plea agreement with the prosecution, who requested he be given a sentence that was at the higher end of the standard sentencing range.

The defense asserted that Chae, a 30-year veteran of the military intelligence warrant officer corps, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as per The Olympian. 

During the sentencing hearing, the defense claimed that at the time of the crime, he was homeless, isolated from his friends and family as well as "overmedicated and undertreated" for his PTSD. 

His attorney, Michael Austin Stewart, reportedly claimed, "Psychological testing by both the State and Defense agree that Mr An was experiencing PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) related symptoms during the events of October 16, 2022." 

In his statement to the courtroom, Chae said, "I wish that I could go back and never enter that house that day and walk away." 

Chae, who pled guilty to second-degree attempted murder, will have to spend 165 months in prison followed by 36 months probation.