A Fatal Act of Desperation: 65-Year-Old Man Takes Wife's Life with Nail Gun on Eve of Restraining Order Hearing

In Texas, a 65-year-old man is facing the prospect of spending the rest of his life incarcerated after confessing to the brutal killing of his wife. 

He bludgeoned her with a nail gun in their own home, and in a failed suicide attempt, used the same tool to inflict injuries to his own face and wrist.

Harris County District Court Judge Veronica M. Nelson handed down a 40-year prison sentence to Lam Ngoc Tran (pictured above) for the murder of his 49-year-old wife, My Thai Dang, according to court records reviewed by Law&Crime.

The sentencing followed a statement from Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, who described the crime as "a horrible murder" and emphasized the dangerous situation that battered spouses often face when trying to leave an abusive relationship. 

She noted that My Thai Dang had sought to break free from an abusive marriage, and her tragic demise occurred because her husband couldn't bear to lose control over her.

Tran had pleaded guilty to one count of murder in May, admitting to the killing of his wife, who had filed for divorce approximately five months earlier.

Based on a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, the incident unfolded on the night of January 10, 2022. 

Authorities responded to a distress call from a man with "slurred speech" who was in pain and requested medical help. First responders entered the Tran residence and discovered My Thai Dang, clad in pajamas, lying on the bedroom floor in a pool of blood. She had sustained severe injuries to her face and head. 

Nearby, a loose nail appeared to be stained with blood and human hair.

Lam Ngoc Tran was found in the living room, approximately 20 feet away from his injured wife. He had suffered significant injuries to his face and body. A red pneumatic nail gun with a blue hose connected to a small air compressor was found nearby.

A subsequent autopsy determined that the injuries inflicted on Dang were consistent with being struck repeatedly by a heavy object, matching the distinctive pattern of the nail gun discovered at the scene.

Statements from Tran's son and Dang's niece revealed that Dang had initiated divorce proceedings in August 2021. Tran was served with divorce papers on December 18, 2021. 

Dang's niece informed authorities that on the day she served the papers, Dang had contacted her while hiding in her closet because Tran was upset about being served.

Additionally, Dang had confided in her niece that Tran had expressed intentions to prolong the divorce process as much as possible because he refused to accept the end of their marriage.

Tran's daughter informed the police that on the afternoon of January 9, 2022, her father had sent a text message to her and her siblings, stating that he was going somewhere, they wouldn't be able to contact him, and saying goodbye.

The tragic incident occurred shortly before a scheduled court hearing related to a restraining order that Dang had sought against her husband, underscoring the deeply troubling circumstances surrounding their relationship.

In another news, a 28-year-old man is facing a life sentence behind bars for the heart-wrenching act of fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend and her grandmother to death, before running the body over with his car. See detailed story here.

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