2 men guilty, a third cleared in Chae murder

After a 13-day trial, a Montgomery County Court jury last night found two men guilty of murdering Korean retailer Robert Chae in a 2009 predawn home invasion, and acquitted a third.

Joseph Page, 23, and Amatadi Latham, 26, were convicted of second-degree murder, which carries a mandatory life prison term, and other counts.

Another accused attacker, Karre Pitts, 19, was cleared of all charges, a verdict attorneys traced to the DNA and phone records that connected Page and Latham - but not Pitts - to Chae's Montgomery Township house.

"We had somewhat overwhelming scientific evidence against" Page and Latham," Assistant District Attorney Todd Stephens said. "My guess is that the jury wanted to see that against the third guy."

Jurors deliberated six hours before announcing the verdict, which they declined to discuss.

Chae, 58, suffocated Jan. 9, 2009, after he was beaten while his head was wrapped in duct tape in the garage of his home as he was departing for his Suburban Station beauty-supply shop. His wife and two adult children were duct-taped, and the family's cash and other possessions were stolen.

Chae's nephew Angelo Shin later admitted that he helped plan a robbery of the Chae family's safe after tipping off his acquaintance, Page. Shin, of nearby North Wales, had lived for a time with the Chae family while growing up; all others charged in the case are from Philadelphia.

Shin and two others, Robert Eatman and Sybil White, had pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and testified for prosecutors about having supporting roles in the attack.

Outside the courtroom, Robert Chae's son, Richard, said the verdict brought some closure to the ordeal, even if one of the accused home invaders was freed. He said his family had been more concerned with the fate of Shin, his cousin.

"We all know who the real bad person is," Richard Chae said, referring to Shin. "He's the person who started it. We believe that if it wasn't for him, everything would be normal."

Of the seven people prosecutors originally charged with second-degree murder, only Julius Wise still awaits trial.

As the verdicts were read last night, Pitts bowed his head. He smiled as deputies led him away from the courtroom to await formal release from the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.

"I've been saying since day one I'm innocent," Pitts said.

During the 13-day trial, Latham confessed to taking part in the home invasion but said he stood to a side holding a gun to Robert Chae's wife, Janice, while the other attackers taped and beat the businessman.

Page and Pitts did not testify, and their attorneys said each played no role in the attack.

Without the DNA evidence and cell-phone call records that linked Latham and Page to the scene, prosecutors relied only on witness accounts, including those of admitted participants Eatman and White, to tie Pitts to the home invasion.

"In many way, it helped my client to be in a joint trial with people against whom there was a great deal of evidence," said Pitts' attorney, J. David Farrell.

Latham's attorney, Cary McClain, said the verdicts were the result of the jury receiving improper evidence, including the playback of a 911 call from after the attack in which screams were heard.