In a significant development, immigration authorities have deported an illegal immigrant connected to a harrowing murder that took place nearly three decades ago. The individual was linked to the shocking 1994 killing of a 16-year-old boy on the steps of a Philadelphia church.
Bou Khathavong, who holds citizenship in both Laos and Thailand, was sent back to Laos on September 2nd. This move comes after a lengthy series of legal maneuvers, as reported by the Philadelphia branch of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
Khathavong was found guilty in 1996 of criminal conspiracy in the death of high school student Eddie Polec. Polec’s tragic demise occurred at the hands of a group of suburban teenagers in Philadelphia’s Fox Chase neighborhood, where he was fatally beaten.
His conviction resulted in a prison sentence ranging from a minimum of five to a maximum of ten years.
According to officials, the attack on Polec was particularly brutal. While defenseless on the steps of Saint Cecilia’s Church, he was assaulted with baseball bats and other weapons. Despite frantic pleas for assistance, the vicious assault persisted until it claimed Polec’s life.
Polec was reportedly assaulted with baseball bats and other weapons while lying defenseless on the steps of Saint Cecilia’s Church, according to officials. Despite desperate calls for help, the attack continued until Polec died.
Khathavong was arrested Nov. 11, 1994, and was initially charged with two counts of murder, possession of an instrument of crime and criminal conspiracy, according to ICE.
The 1994 murder happened on the front steps of St. Cecilia’s Church in the Philadelphia Fox Chase neighborhood. (Google Maps)
Nearly two years later, he was convicted of criminal conspiracy and sentenced.
The former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) lodged an immigration detainer against Khathavong at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia a month after his conviction.
On Sept. 1, 1998, INS served him with a notice to appear before an immigration judge, charging him as an aggravated felon under Section 237 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
ICE deported an illegal immigrant convict decades after the brutal murder of a Philadelphia high school student. (Getty Images)
The act contains a list of serious criminal offenses that can lead to an illegal immigrant’s deportation.
An immigration judge in York ordered Khathavong removed from the U.S. to Laos in December 2004, though he was later released on an order of supervision in 2005.
He was finally sent back to Laos in September.
“We sincerely hope that the removal of Bou Khathavong can finally help the family of Eddie Polec and the city of Philadelphia heal from one of the most horrifying crimes in Philadelphia’s history,” ICE ERO Philadelphia acting Field Office Director David O’Neill wrote in a statement.
“ICE is working daily to safeguard the American public and bring justice for the families of those who are harmed by illegal aliens.”
ICE said Khathavong’s removal marks the culmination of efforts by ERO Philadelphia and ICE’s Removal Management Division to enforce the immigration laws of the U.S. and ensure public safety.
