Suspect arrested in 2002 fatal stabbing of Babylon man in Queens

A suspect in the 2002 stabbing death of a 22-year-old Babylon man was extradited from South Korea and arraigned on murder charges in Queens on Friday, officials said.

Ho “Alex” Shin, 43, was held without bail following his arraignment on two counts of second-degree murder, one count of attempted murder and numerous assault and weapons charges stemming from a January 2002 altercation in a Flushing apartment, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Shin pleaded not guilty to the charges Friday.

Shin is accused of stabbing and killing Hyun Dae Kim, as well as stabbing another man after a night of drinking, according to police.

In a statement, Katz said Shin fled the United States almost immediately after the stabbings in an attempt to elude capture. Federal officials eventually tracked Shin to South Korea, where he had fled after a short stay in Boston. He was arrested Dec. 8 by South Korean authorities and extradited Thursday.

According to Katz's office,  at about 4:30 on the morning of Jan. 6, 2002, Kim, Shin and one other man went to the apartment of a friend after a night out. After a short while, Shin left the apartment and came back with a 16-year-old boy, who wasn’t named but was identified as a co-defendant, and began stabbing Kim multiple times over a perceived insult which had taken place earlier in the evening, the district attorney's office said.

When the victim's friend, 22-year-old Hyun Suk Yu, tried to intervene, Shin also stabbed him, Katz said in the statement. Yu survived the attack.

Officials said Kim died in hospital and that Shin told friends he had stabbed someone and had to leave the country.

A defense attorney for Shin was not immediately available for comment. Queens State Supreme Court Justice Jessica Earle-Gargan ordered Shin to be held without bail and set his next court date for Feb. 17.

Shin faces 50 years to life in prison if convicted of all charges, the prosecutor's office said.  

By Anthony M. DeStefano

tony.destefano@newsday.comtonynewsday

Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.