‘Tired of providing’: 94-year-old man’s death at hilltop vineyard home appeared natural until surveillance video showed it was ‘cold malice murder,’ cops say

Police in California arrested a 71-year-old man after surveillance video allegedly showed he suffocated his 94-year-old father-in-law.

Sy Van Nguyen died Aug. 11 at his Santa Rosa home in the 5800 block of River Road, 65 miles north of San Francisco. Paramedics initially considered the death natural, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said.

But on Friday, the victim’s son came to deputies with evidence. Nguyen had surveillance cameras in his bedroom, and following his death, his son felt something was suspicious and watched the video.

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“As he’s reviewing it, he saw the suspect basically grab a plastic bag and a pillow, put it over the victim’s face, suffocating him on camera,” Sonoma County Sheriff Sgt. Juan Valencia told local ABC affiliate KGO.

The suspect was identified as Khanh Trong Tran, who lived on Nguyen’s property but in a different home. Deputies went to the property but did not find him there. They located him around 4:15 a.m. Saturday, next to a vehicle in the 1700 block of Marlow Road, and took him into custody.

Valencia said Tran admitted to killing his father-in-law.

“Detectives did speak with the suspect and he basically said he was tired of providing for his father-in-law, who was 94 years old,” Valencia told KGO.

Tran is now facing a murder charge.

“This is a straight-up, cold malice murder,” Valencia declared.

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KGO spoke with neighbors who said Nguyen typically kept to himself. Tran was known to hike around the area, which consists of several vineyards.

“There’s got to be alternatives than coming to this,” said neighbor Rod Burglund, who knew the suspect as Ken. “You know most of the people in the neighborhood, Ken was always doing his own thing, a walking acquaintance. I made wine from his grapes one year. To me, he seemed like an above-board kind of guy.”

Tran is in the Sonoma County Jail without bond. His next court date is scheduled for Sept. 15.

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