Do you know who killed Thang Thi Nguyen in 1993? On a summer afternoon in Portland, Oregon, the bustling sounds of the city were tragically interrupted by the sharp report of gunshots. It was July 25, 1993, and for 46-year-old Thang Thi Nguyen, a woman of Asian descent known affectionately to her neighbors as "Lilly," it would be her last day. The owner of a video rental store located at 1403 SE Belmont, Nguyen was a familiar and friendly face in the community, described by those who knew her as a kind and non-confrontational person.
Around 12:34 p.m., residents in the vicinity of the 1400 block of SE Belmont were startled by the sound of gunfire. A neighbor, whose apartment was across the street from Nguyen's video store, emerged to a horrifying scene. He found Nguyen lying on the sidewalk in front of her shop, seriously injured and bleeding. In her final moments, she managed to utter the chilling words, "They killed me, they killed me," before she was rushed to the hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries. An autopsy would later confirm that Thang Thi Nguyen died from gunshot wounds.
The investigation into her murder uncovered descriptions of potential suspects. A passing motorist reported seeing two Asian males running from the area around the time of the shooting. Another witness had noticed two young Asian males standing by the door of the video store earlier that day. A white midsize vehicle was also noted as possibly being connected to the two individuals. Based on Nguyen's dying declaration, investigators believe that more than one person was likely involved in the fatal shooting. The motive for the attack remains unclear, though it is believed that her purse may have been taken, suggesting a possible robbery. Despite the witness accounts and the passage of time, no arrests have ever been made in the case of Thang Thi Nguyen's murder, leaving a painful and unanswered question for her family and the community she was a part of.
