An illegal Vietnamese immigrant who was supposed to be deported in 2006 faces life in prison for brutally murdering a family in San Francisco in 2012.
People who knew Luc were stunned to learn that the hardworking local handyman and father of two would commit such a violent, brutal act.
The California justice system knew that Luc had a dangerous side—and so did immigration authorities.
He was released in 2006 and was scheduled to be deported—but Vietnam refused to take him back.
Because “Vietnamese authorities declined to provide appropriate travel documents, Luc ultimately had to be released,” she explained.
Friends With the Killer
The victims were also immigrants, a Chinese family who had been in the United States for two decades.Hua Shun Lei, 65, had worked for 18 years at an upscale Chinese restaurant. He had been “a highly regarded math teacher,” according to his employer, Kinson Wong.
Vincent Lei’s wife, Chia Huei Chu, 30, and his sister, Ying Xue Lei, 37, were the other two victims. Ying Xue Lei, called “Jess” owned the home. She worked as a software engineer for Qualitative Medical Systems in Emeryville, California.
Called for Cash?
Apparently, Binh Thai Luc called Vincent Lei before the murder. Two of Lei’s friends told police that they heard him talking on the phone with his wife the night before the multiple murders. It seemed Luc was at Lei’s home, looking for him.Lei’s friends heard Lei say to his wife, “Let me talk to him,” the prosecutor said.
Lei then asked, “What is it? Is it serious?”
The girl’s mother, Vincent Lei’s other sister, Nicole Lei, reportedly called someone immediately after the bodies were discovered and reported, “They took the money! The money is gone!”
Despite his efforts to contaminate the crime scene, Binh Thai Luc left and collected significant amounts of DNA, which the police were able to use against him. He also left a fingerprint on a bottle of Windex.
Luc was found guilty of five counts of murder, plus five counts of attempted robbery, and two counts of burglary.
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