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How an Apple Watch saved a woman stabbed, buried alive by her husband

Yong Sook claimed her husband punched her before tying her with a duct tape during a heated argument over divorce. Later, he drove her to a secluded wood wherein she was stabbed in the chest and buried by placing a tree on top of her.

Published on: Oct 26, 2022, 11:36:59 IST
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An Apple Watch saved the life of a 42-year-old woman who was buried alive after being stabbed in the chest by her estranged husband in Washington. The cause of the brutal act committed by the armed forces veteran was an ugly divorce battle in which he wanted to keep pension away from his wife, The Daily Beast reported.

According to the report, the local police rushed to the home of 42-year-old Yong Sook's home at Lacey, Washington after 911 operators told officers that a woman was heard screaming and sounded gagged. When the police officers reached the home using cell data to locate the address, the house was empty and the garage door open.

Yong Sook had dialled up 911 using her Apple Watch after her husband assaulted her at the couple's home (Representational Image)
Yong Sook had dialled up 911 using her Apple Watch after her husband assaulted her at the couple's home (Representational Image)

According to authorities, the house was notorious for its previous history of domestic violence. On checking the records, it was found that Yong had a no-contact order against her 53-year-old husband Chae Kyong An, which had been rescinded by the courts.

The couple's children aged 20 and 11 respectively reached the home, only to find the cops on the scene. They claimed their mother stopped by one a week to do her husband's laundry, whose minivan was in the driveway.

The mother's cellphone sent out an emergency notification to her daughter and her friend, which turned out that she had used her Apple Watch to dial 911 and send notifications. However, the husband smashed the Apple Watch with a hammer and dragged Yong out of the house when he returned.

According to report, Yong showed up at a stranger's house in Lacey on October 17. When cops turned up at the house, they said she was finding it difficult to recall the exact account of events. She had duct tape wrapped around her neck, ankles and lower face. Her legs, arms and head were bruised while her clothes and hair were covered in dirt.

According to Yong, she was attacked and punched by her husband during a heated argument over divorce and money. She alleged Chae tied her hands behind her back with duct tape and taped her eyes, thighs and ankles.

After he left the room, the distressed wife used her Apple Watch to call 911. She was finding it difficult to contact the person on the emergency services as her mouth was covered. After her husband returned, he dragged her body down the hallway and down the stairs to the floor in front of the garage.

Chae then drove a gagged Yong to a secluded area in the woods. She was stabbed in the chest and was put into the ground while a tree was put on top of her. The woman said she would wiggle around to prevent the dirt from being on her face, and she was in the ground for a few hours.

Chae was arrested hours later on the same day and remains detained. He will be arraigned on attempted murder and kidnapping charges on November 1.

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