Bou Khathavong (left), who was part of a group that brutally killed Eddie Polec (right).

By Jillian Pikora From Daily Voice

A man involved in one of Philadelphia’s most shocking acts of violence has been deported after decades of legal proceedings, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced on Tuesday, Oct. 28.

Bou Khathavong, a dual citizen of Laos and Thailand, was removed from the United States to Laos on Sept. 2, 2025, according to ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Philadelphia.

Khathavong played a role in the brutal 1994 murder of 16-year-old Eddie Polec, a Philadelphia high school student who was beaten to death by a mob of teenagers armed with baseball bats on the steps of a church in the city’s Fox Chase neighborhood. The attack horrified the community, sparked national outrage, and led to widespread criticism of the city’s 911 response time after multiple calls for help went unanswered.

Khathavong legally entered the U.S. on June 23, 1980, but was arrested by Philadelphia police on Nov. 11, 1994, for his involvement in Polec’s killing. He was convicted of criminal conspiracy on March 19, 1996, and sentenced to five to ten years in prison.

The former Immigration and Naturalization Service lodged an immigration detainer against him in February 1996 and later charged him as an aggravated felon under Section 237 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. In December 2004, an immigration judge ordered his removal to Laos, and he was released under supervision the following year.

After years of legal delays, Khathavong was arrested again by ICE on July 25, 2025. He was deported to Laos six weeks later.

“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,” said ICE ERO Philadelphia Acting Field Office Director David O’Neill. “ICE is working daily to safeguard the American public and bring justice for the families of those who are harmed by illegal aliens.”

The deportation marks the culmination of a decades-long effort by ERO Philadelphia and ICE’s Removal Management Division to enforce U.S. immigration laws and ensure public safety.