Professor’s remains found
Officials say the remains of missing ASU professor Junseok Chae have been found in a landfill in Surprise following an extensive search. Two Louisiana teenagers have been arrested in connection with his death and have been extradited to Arizona.
Officials say the remains of missing Arizona State University professor Junseok Chae have been located in a Surprise landfill following an extensive search and two Louisiana teens have been arrested in connection with his death.
Chae was reported missing after not returning home from work on March 25, and law enforcement began searching for him on May 11.
Police in Shreveport, Louisiana, contacted the Maricopa County Sheriff ’s Office on March 30, saying their officers responded to a “suspicious” vehicle call in which they contacted 18-year-old Javian Ezell, 18-year-old Gabrielle Austin and a third person, MCSO said.
The vehicle was determined to be Chae’s. Statements from the three individuals led law enforcement officials to believe Chae was murdered, MCSO said.
Ezell and Austin were extradited to Arizona and were in MCSO custody on Friday.
Their bond was set at $1 million each, with each facing charges of first-degree murder, armed robbery and vehicle theft.
MCSO did not cite a possible motive for the killing.
Further investigation determined Chae was killed near Carefree Highway and Seventh Street, MCSO said.
Sheriff’s Office employees recovered several pieces of evidence from the scene, and detectives eventually determined the suspects put Chae’s body in a dumpster that was ultimately deposited in the Northwest Regional Landfill, MCSO said.
Crews conducted an extensive landfill search between May 11 and July 17, at which point detectives found human remains and “related evidence.” The remains were determined to be those of Chae’s.
An MCSO spokesperson said law enforcement searched the landfill for 48 days, averaging 15 people per day working for about 10 hours. The total cost of the search, excluding man hours, exceeded $304,000.