New York
September 14, 2006 - 9:32AM
A South Korean man who admitted to killing his ex-girlfriend by setting her on fire with gasoline in front of her young son was sentenced today to 15 years to life in a US jail.
Sung Chul Jo, 49, of the Queens borough of New York, pleaded guilty in August to dousing Mi Rae Bae, 45, with gasoline before igniting her with a cigarette lighter on a footpath in July 2003. He was distraught that Bae was leaving him and tried to kill himself and her.
He was sentenced by Queens Supreme Court Justice Robert Hanophy, prosecutors said.
"The crime was calculated and vicious, and the lengthy prison sentence imposed is more than warranted," District Attorney Richard Brown said.
Bae died a "slow and painful death," Brown added.
Bae, who was dropping off her 10-year-old son at summer school when Jo attacked her, ran into a nearby convenience store with her hair burning, screaming that her ex-boyfriend had just set her on fire. She died after being in a coma for 10 days.
Witnesses said that during the attack Jo claimed he wanted to live and die with Bae.
Jo, who suffered burns over most of his body and lost some fingers, his ears and his lips, was in a coma for months. He has undergone more than a dozen operations.
He woke from the coma asking where his fingers were because he could not remember what happened, his lawyer said.
"It's an extremely tragic situation," lawyer John Scarpa said.
Jo will likely will be deported after serving his sentence.
AP
September 14, 2006 - 9:32AM
A South Korean man who admitted to killing his ex-girlfriend by setting her on fire with gasoline in front of her young son was sentenced today to 15 years to life in a US jail.
Sung Chul Jo, 49, of the Queens borough of New York, pleaded guilty in August to dousing Mi Rae Bae, 45, with gasoline before igniting her with a cigarette lighter on a footpath in July 2003. He was distraught that Bae was leaving him and tried to kill himself and her.
He was sentenced by Queens Supreme Court Justice Robert Hanophy, prosecutors said.
"The crime was calculated and vicious, and the lengthy prison sentence imposed is more than warranted," District Attorney Richard Brown said.
Bae died a "slow and painful death," Brown added.
Bae, who was dropping off her 10-year-old son at summer school when Jo attacked her, ran into a nearby convenience store with her hair burning, screaming that her ex-boyfriend had just set her on fire. She died after being in a coma for 10 days.
Witnesses said that during the attack Jo claimed he wanted to live and die with Bae.
Jo, who suffered burns over most of his body and lost some fingers, his ears and his lips, was in a coma for months. He has undergone more than a dozen operations.
He woke from the coma asking where his fingers were because he could not remember what happened, his lawyer said.
"It's an extremely tragic situation," lawyer John Scarpa said.
Jo will likely will be deported after serving his sentence.
AP
