Hoang Van Nguyen, an Asian/Pacific Islander male, 49, was found dead inside his Chinatown apartment at 175 North Hotel Street on December 29, 2015. He worked as a cook at the Bac Nam restaurant, and in the days before his death he was seen around the neighborhood—Honolulu police note he was last seen on the evening of December 24, while CrimeStoppers later reported he was last seen alive on Sunday, December 27, near the intersection of North Hotel Street and River Street.
An autopsy determined he had been assaulted and strangled, and detectives opened a homicide investigation.
Officers discovered Nguyen's body at about 9:30 a.m. that Tuesday, and the case was reclassified as murder in the second degree as investigators canvassed the building and the surrounding Chinatown blocks for witnesses and camera footage. Appeals for information emphasized that this was a targeted assault inside his residence rather than a random encounter on the street, and authorities asked anyone who had seen him in the days before his death to come forward.
No arrests have been announced. Early in the investigation, police circulated a description of a possible suspect: an unknown African American man in his 30s to 40s, approximately 5-foot-8 to 6 feet tall and 160 to 180 pounds, dressed in a collared shirt, black slacks, and dress shoes, and possibly associated with a newer white sedan. Despite periodic reminders from investigators and CrimeStoppers, the case remains unsolved and open with Honolulu Police Department's Cold Case Unit.
