Summary: A Vietnamese immigrant was found guilty of murdering a Chinese family of five in San Francisco.
On Monday, an unauthorized immigrant from Vietnam was convicted of murdering a family of five. The crime occurred in San Francisco, one of the nation’s most well-known sanctuary cities.
According to Fox News, Binh Thai Luc, 41, allegedly killed a family with a hammer after losing money at a casino. The crime occurred in 2012 during the evening, and prosecutors said that it was one of the most gruesome murders in San Francisco history.
Luc had a record of violence and was scheduled to be deported in 2006 but stayed in the country due to an administrative problem. He was found guilty of murdering the family of five as well as five counts of attempted robbery and two counts of burglary.
On March 23, 2012, Luc lost money at a casino and was desperate for cash. He broke into a home of Chinese immigrants, bludgeoned the family with a hammer in various rooms of the house, and stole $6,500. He used the cash to settle his debts, which included back rent.
“This was a very gruesome, brutal murder, and we’re pleased we’re getting some accountability for the family and for the community,” District Attorney George Gascón told The San Francisco Chronicle.
Investigators said that Luc’s blood was found inside the slain family’s home and that a family member’s blood was found on his jeans. Luc’s defense team argued that a Chinatown gangster may have murdered the family, but no motive for that theory was established.
In 1996, Luc was convicted of robbing a Chinese restaurant with a deadly weapon, and he spent ten years in prison. He was ordered to be deported back to Vietnam, but the Vietnamese government did not send over proper documents, according to Fox News. The U.S. government thus released him into the community, where he worked as a plumber.
Mark Goldrosen, Luc’s attorney, said that Luc was disappointed with the outcome.
“He was quite disappointed,” Goldrosen said to the San Francisco Gate. “He understands that this is the beginning of the process and there are appellate procedures.”
According to the San Francisco Gate, Luc allegedly murdered Hua Shun Lei, 65; his wife, Wan Yi Wu, 62; their daughter, Ying Xue Lei, 37; their son, Vincent Lei, 32; and his wife, Chia Huei Chu, 30.
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