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The tragic and violent death of Robert Chae, a respected Korean American entrepreneur, has left a profound impact on his community, filling it with fear and uncertainty.
“This crime’s sheer brutality distinguished it,” remarked retired Detective Chris McMullin during an episode of “Philly Homicide” aired on April 25. “The revelation of the truth behind it was truly shocking for all of us.”
In January 2009, the tranquility of Robert and Janice Chae’s North Wales residence was shattered when Janice made a frantic call to the police. She reported that three armed men, unmasked, had burst into their home, initiating a terrifying ordeal. While Janice managed to escape to a neighbor’s house to seek help, her husband and their adult children were held captive by the intruders.
Police arrived swiftly, only to find that the perpetrators had already fled the scene. They discovered the Chae children alive but restrained with duct tape. Tragically, Robert was found in a dire state; his head was heavily wrapped in tape, leaving only his nose uncovered, and his hands were cruelly bound with zip ties.
The children were found alive, bound with duct-tape, but it was too late for Robert. His head was wrapped in tape, leaving only his nose exposed, and his hands were zip tied behind his back.
“I didn’t understand why it was necessary to duct tape his head so many times,” said retired Montgomery County Detective Michael Santarelli. “They wrapped his head so many times that it looked like they used an entire roll of duct tape.”
Janice told police that one man beat Robert and held him in the garage, while the others forced Janice into the house, demanding access to their safe. They ultimately fled with $20,000 in cash, jewelry and purses.
But, something didn’t add up: Why would the intruders risk their faces being seen? How did they know the family kept a safe? Those questions would later take the investigation down an even darker path.
Who Was Robert Chae?
Although Robert grew up poor in South Korea, he believed in the American Dream and went on to become the owner of a beauty supply store in Philadelphia. He also tried to pay it forward, hiring people experiencing homelessness.
His death came at a time when Asian American hate crimes were increasingly high, according to former Delaware County Assistant District Attorney Pearl Kim.
“They were specifically targeting Asian people because they believed that Asians were more likely to carry cash, have cash in their home and less likely to notify police,” said Kim, “because of a language barrier or some other cultural barrier.”
Robert’s autopsy revealed that he died of asphyxiation from his own blood, which reinforced the brutality of the attack.
“Because his face was taped,” said Santarelli, “there was no place for the blood to go but down his throat.”
Clue Emerges in Robert Chae’s Murder Case
As investigators dug deeper, small clues began to stand out. Janice recalled the intruders were talking to each other on their phones from different floors of the house. As detectives analyzed phone records in the area, a sketch artist created composites of the men’s faces.
Meanwhile, Janice and her kids sought refuge with Robert’s sister, her husband and Robert’s nephew Angelo Shin, who lived with the Chaes for a year while his parents were abroad.
Then came a break in the case that changed everything.
A garbage collector reported seeing an SUV with three people circling Chae’s block days before the murder. Investigators then identified three numbers linked to burner phones that were in regular communication around the time of the murder.
Detectives were shocked to discover that one number belonged to Angelo.
Why Did Angelo Shin Kill Robert Chae?
When Angelo was called into the police station for questioning, he was distraught and devastated.
“Guilt ridden as Mr. Shin was,” his defense attorney David Mischak said, “he immediately came clean about what he had done.”
Police said Angelo had become friendly with a local named Joseph Page, whom he tried to impress by saying he could get their hands on $100,000.
Angelo told police that the robbery wasn’t serious—but it was too late, as Joseph alerted five of his friends, Amatadi Latham, Robert Eatman, Karre Pitts, Julius Wise and Sybil White. Three would go inside, while others waited as drivers. Everyone would get a cut.
Angelo told police that no one was supposed to get hurt and, in fact, when he asked Joseph why he killed Robert, he suggested that it was Robert’s fault for fighting back.
In 2010, Robert, Sybil and Julius pleaded guilty to third-degree murder while the rest went on trial. The group received individual prison sentences ranging from four years to life, except for Karre who was acquitted.
Angelo pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and received 20 to 40 years.
“He’s where he belongs,” said Robert’s coworker Marianne DiRuocco. “Angelo made adult decisions and I believe Angelo [has] to pay for them.”