Heike Poike, a 50-year-old Caucasian female, was tragically killed on September 18, 2015, in a Salt Lake City, Utah, home. Her life, along with two others, was cut short in a violent act that began to unravel when she failed to pick up her 8-year-old grandson from school. This uncharacteristic absence prompted school officials to contact the police, setting in motion a welfare check that would lead to a grim discovery.
When officers arrived at the residence on Sir Philip Drive, they
received no answer at the front door. Peering through a window, they saw a tarp covering a large object, raising their concern. They found the back door ajar and, upon entering, discovered a horrific scene. Inside the home lay the bodies of Heike, her 2-month-old granddaughter Lyrik Poike, and a 28-year-old man named Dakota Smith. All three had been shot multiple times.
In the basement of the house, police found the homeowner, Alexander Hung Tran, who was 32 at the time. He surrendered to the officers, informing them he was putting down his gun. Tran, who lived in the basement and rented the upstairs portion of the home to Poike and her family, was taken into custody. Investigators quickly determined he was the sole suspect in the triple homicide.
The investigation revealed a disturbing motive. Tran had developed a romantic obsession with Heike's daughter, Ashley Poike, who had recently moved into the home with her children. Tran sent her a series of escalating text messages, and despite her feeling the need to be polite because he was their landlord, his advances were not reciprocated. Shortly before the murders, Ashley was incarcerated. Tran's mother, who owned the house, had instructed him to evict the tenants. Tran later told his mother that the people upstairs were gone. After his arrest, prosecutors stated that Tran told police he shot the three victims because they wouldn't move out.
Alexander Tran was arrested and booked on suspicion of three counts of aggravated murder. His legal proceedings were lengthy and complex. In December 2016, he was found incompetent to stand trial and was committed to the Utah State Hospital, having been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. After years of treatment, he was deemed competent in December 2020. Despite a legal challenge regarding the officers' warrantless entry into his home, the evidence was allowed to stand. In August 2025, a jury found Alexander Hung Tran guilty of all three counts of aggravated murder.
