Huong Helene Nguyen, a 42-year-old woman, was reported missing in New Orleans on March 11, 2020, after she failed to show up for her job at an insurance office. Concern grew when her family was unable to get in touch with her. She had last been seen leaving her workplace on Crowder Boulevard at approximately 5:26 p.m. that day.
Two days later, on the evening of March 13, a grim discovery was made.
A silver Toyota Camry matching the description of Huong's vehicle was found parked on Robin Hood Drive, about seven blocks from the home she shared with her mother and brother. Inside the trunk of the car, authorities found Huong Nguyen's body. An investigation determined that she had sustained at least one gunshot wound, and her death was classified as a homicide.
The investigation quickly centered on a prime suspect: Huong's younger brother, 37-year-old Hoa Phong Nguyen. Initially, Hoa told investigators that he had heard the door open and close twice on the night his sister disappeared and assumed it was her. However, surveillance and home security footage obtained by police showed Huong's vehicle being moved from her driveway to the location where it was ultimately discovered. The video also captured a man walking away from the car in the early morning of March 13. A family member identified the man in the footage as Hoa Nguyen.
Based on this evidence, the New Orleans Police Department secured an arrest warrant for Hoa Nguyen on a charge of second-degree murder. He was located and arrested as a fugitive in Houston, Texas. Noticeably absent from his sister's wake and funeral, Hoa was taken into custody to face charges for her death.
