New details: Suspect in 2007 homicide admitted to involvement, cleaning West Valley City crime scene

Tien Troung Nguygen. Photo (2018): Salt Lake County

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, March 9, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — Newly released court documents in a 2007 homicide case say the suspect has admitted involvement in the death of Tri Xuan Phan, and that he returned to the scene to try and clean up evidence that might link him to the crime.

The suspect, 37-year-old Tien Truong Nguyen, of West Valley City, was linked to the scene by a bloody fingerprint that was left behind. West Valley City police had the fingerprint, preserved in the victim’s blood, in evidence for years, but Nguyen’s fingerprints were not in the database to be identified until he was arrested in another case years later.

Nguyen was arrested Thursday in the death of Phan, whose body was found on Jan. 10, 2007, at his business, Vui Vui Billiards, at 1829 W. 3500 South, West Valley City.

Nguyen was arrested for:

  • Murder, a first degree felony, and
  • Obstruction of justice, a second degree felony

According to court documents, Phan’s body was found just inside of the back door at his billiards hall. An autopsy classified his manner of death as homicide, and his cause of death as blunt force and sharp injuries.

Nguyen’s fingerprint, found on a bloody weapon at the scene, was identified on April 22, 2016. Officers began building their case, and called in Nguyen for an interview on Thursday, documents say.

“During the interview, the AP (accused person) initially lied about being involved in the victim’s death,” court papers say. “The AP later admitted to detectives that he had been with the victim, and had been involved in a physical altercation with him.

“The AP also admitted that he returned to the scene later in an attempt to clean up, fearing that he would be identified by trace evidence that was left behind.”

Third District Judge Patrick Corum set Nguyen’s bail at $260,000.

Tri Xuan Phan was murdered in 2007 Photo West Valley City

 

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