ICE Finally Removes Man Involved in Shocking 1994 Eddie Polec Murder in Philadelphia

Left: Bou Khathavong, who was involved in the 1994 murder of Eddie Polec and has been deported by ICE. | Right: Eddie Polec in an undated photo

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ICE Finally Removes Man Involved in Shocking 1994 Eddie Polec Murder in Philadelphia

Like many, I find much of what ICE is doing in the United States disgusting. While the Trump administration at one point had suggested that ICE would focus on dangerous criminals who were here illegally as opposed to immigrants whose only crime was wanting a better life in the United States and not following the steps required to do so legally, that is not how all this has played out, as we have seen time and time again. That said, I am not losing a bit of sleep over ICE’s recent removal of Bou Khathavong.

You almost certainly don’t know the name Bou Khathavong. But if you grew up in the Philadelphia area or were living here in the mid-’90s, you almost certainly remember the name Eddie Polec.

That name made national headlines after 16-year-old Polec was beaten to death on the steps of a Northeast Philadelphia church. He was an innocent bystander caught in the middle of a vigilante mob of teens seeking revenge for something that Polec had nothing to do with. It turned out that Polec was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, waiting on the steps of the church for his brother.

This was a big story not just because of the brutal nature of the attack but because of 911’s multiple failures when residents called to report what was happening, a scandal that eventually led to a massive overhaul of Philadelphia’s 911 system.

A jury acquitted Khathavong of the most serious charge of murder (others were convicted on the murder charge) but found him guilty of conspiracy in the case; Khathavong had organized the attack. The court sentenced him to five to 10 years in prison.

It turned out that Khathavong was not in the country illegally, as his family immigrated here from Laos legally in 1980, when he was just a toddler. But Khathavong had not obtained citizenship. As such, he could be charged as an aggravated felon under Section 237 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which is exactly what the department then known as Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) did in 1998, during the Bill Clinton administration. Six years later, an immigration judge ordered him removed to Laos.

That was 2004. There was some legal wrangling over the years, and Khathavong remained in the United States. But in July, ICE arrested him – it’s unclear if he was caught up in a random sweep or if they were looking for him specifically due to his previous conviction in the Polec case – and he has since been sent back to Laos.

A family member of Polec declined to comment on the development when reached on Wednesday morning.

But How Do You Really Feel?

From the Daily Pennsylvanian: “I Hate The Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Rebrand. You Should Too.” (I pretty much agree with the author. This all reminds me of when the Franklin Institute decided it was going to be “The Franklin.”)

By the Numbers

30 percent: Approximate portion of Philadelphia residents who receive SNAP benefits, which they will not be receiving in November due to the government shutdown. That’s about 472,000 people. Now might be a good time to donate to or volunteer with an organization that can help. WHYY has a good resource for this.

13: Points that the 76ers found themselves behind the Wizards with five minutes to go in Tuesday night’s game. But guess what? We won! The Sixers are now 4-0. And people are feeling excited about the team for the first time in a long time. (Remember last year when tickets were a buck?)

39 degrees: Low I see in the forecast for one day next week. Might be time to starting thinking about getting those winter clothes ready. Also, tomorrow seems like it could be a real soaker.

Local Talent

It wasn’t so long ago that most of us had zero clue who Sabrina Carpenter was. Now, the Pride of Quakertown is in the middle of a five-night run at Madison Square Garden that is completely and utterly sold out. That doesn’t happen often. Here’s a review of the show from Variety.