19-year-old charged with murder in the death of his 78-year-old father

September 9, 2021

A 19-year-old man has been charged with murder after authorities found the body of his father, who went missing earlier in the week, buried behind their home in Fairfax County, Virginia.

The discovery: Truman Nguyen was reported missing on Monday by a family member who last saw the 78-year-old man on Sunday, WUSA9 reported.

Detectives received several tips about a dead body buried in the backyard of Nguyen’s house in the 3300 block of Nevius Street in Falls Church while searching for clues in his disappearance on Wednesday morning, NBC Washington reported. Authorities said they found a dead body, believed to be the remains of Nguyen, later that afternoon.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy on Nguyen to determine how he died. Meanwhile, his son, Philip Nguyen, has been charged with second-degree murder in his father’s death and was held in the Fairfax Detention Center without bond.
If Nguyen is convicted, the case would mark the fifth instance where a son or brother killed a family member and the 18th homicide case this year, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said in a press conference on Wednesday.

Past disturbances: O’Carroll said the FCPD visited the house several times in the past for reports of domestic disputes and issues. Neighbors of the family also claimed they heard yelling in Nguyen’s house on Sunday.

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One neighbor, Sherry Garay, claimed that the Nguyens frequently argued in their house. “They had classic, knockdown drag-out fights in that house that we’ve heard for years and years,” she said.
“I could hear somebody calling out a name repeatedly in Vietnamese, and it turned out he was calling out ‘father.’ It was his son. He was calling out ‘father,'” another neighbor claimed.
It is unclear the motive behind why the son may have murdered his father but Truman Nguyen seemed to have been loved by his neighbors. “Truman was an awesome neighbor,” Garay said. “I mean the first day I moved into the house in 1999, Truman came over to introduce himself. Told me that if we ever needed anything, he was there for us. He was always gardening.”

Featured Image Fairfax County Police Department via FOX5 DC

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