A Maryland man, Kevin Ahn, 31, is now facing murder and assault charges in Baltimore County, Maryland, following the discovery of his mother’s deceased body in Lancaster County. The Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office confirmed on Friday the charges of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of first-degree assault were filed on April 3rd.
These new charges follow an incident on March 24th when officers from the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department were dispatched to a residence in Penn Township for a report of a suspicious situation. The complainant, Ahn’s estranged sister, reported that Ahn was outside the home acting strangely and was in possession of their mother’s white 2022 Toyota RAV4.
According to the police report, Ahn, whose last known address was in Schuylkill Haven, left the residence after an argument but returned shortly after. The complainant and her husband then observed an unresponsive individual in the back of the vehicle, partially obscured by household items. When questioned, Ahn fled on foot.
Upon investigating the vehicle, police and EMS discovered the deceased body of a female, later identified as 61-year-old Hyun Ahn of Owings Mills, Maryland. The Lancaster County Coroner, Dr. Stephen Diamantoni, conducted an autopsy and determined the cause of death to be strangulation, with a traumatic brain injury listed as a contributing factor. The manner of death was ruled a homicide.
At a preliminary hearing in Lancaster County concerning an earlier charge of abuse of a corpse, details of the scene were revealed. A Northern Lancaster County Regional Police sergeant testified that Hyun Ahn’s body was found on the floor of the backseat, covered in trash, including McDonald’s wrappers. Testimony indicated that her body was believed to have been in the vehicle for approximately 30 to 40 hours.
Detective Theresa Stauffer, the lead investigator, testified that surveillance footage from a business on Harrisburg Pike showed Kevin and Hyun Ahn together in the vehicle about 48 hours prior to the discovery of the body. The footage reportedly showed Hyun Ahn entering the business while Kevin Ahn remained in the car.
An attorney representing Kevin Ahn argued at the hearing that there was no evidence of abuse, suggesting that covering the body was an act of “respect.” However, First Deputy Assistant District Attorney Cody Wade, who is prosecuting the case, countered this argument as “exceptionally strange,” stating that keeping a body in a vehicle for over 30 hours would outrage ordinary sensibilities.
Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger told The Sun that specific details of the charges in Maryland are not being released at this time as Kevin Ahn remains in custody in Pennsylvania.
Kevin Ahn is currently being held without bail in the Lancaster County Prison. The investigation into Hyun Ahn’s death is ongoing, with authorities in both Lancaster County and Maryland actively collaborating. The Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department has indicated that additional charges may be filed in Lancaster County as the investigation develops.
Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to contact the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department at (717) 733-0965 or Lancaster County Crime Stoppers at (800) 322-1913.
A preliminary hearing for Ahn in Lancaster County has not yet been scheduled.
