In the early morning hours of May 18, 2024, police in Omaha, Nebraska, were dispatched to a medical call at a residence near 45th and Charles Streets. Inside, they found Kyaw Thu, a 35-year-old Asian man, unconscious in his kitchen with a gunshot wound. Emergency responders transported him to a local hospital, but he died from his injuries.
The homicide investigation continued for nearly a year without any publicly identified suspects.
Omaha Police urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers, but the case remained unsolved until a major breakthrough in the spring of 2025.
On May 6, 2025, Omaha Police announced the arrests of three men in connection with the murder. Hsa Htoo, 39, Yu Htoo, 46, and Win Oo-Thein, 38, were taken into custody and booked into Douglas County Corrections. At a subsequent court hearing where the men were denied bond, prosecutors described the case as a "murder-for-hire."
Prosecutors alleged that Win Oo-Thein had previously threatened to kill Thu and had stated he would hire someone to carry out the act. Investigators said they had evidence that Oo-Thein communicated with Yu Htoo, who then communicated with Hsa Htoo. According to prosecutors, Oo-Thein withdrew $3,000 from a bank just hours after the murder. They also stated that video evidence showed Hsa Htoo in the kitchen with the victim.
All three men were charged with first-degree murder and criminal conspiracy. Hsa Htoo and Win Oo-Thein faced an additional charge of using a weapon to commit a felony. Just days later, on May 9, 2025, police arrested a fourth suspect. Kpor Kue, 25, was booked on charges of first-degree murder, criminal conspiracy, and use of a gun to commit a felony.
All four men are now facing charges for their alleged roles in the fatal shooting of Kyaw Thu. As of May 2025, the case was proceeding through the court system.
