In the late summer of 2008, a Des Moines woman's life was tragically cut short in a sudden act of violence. Amalia "Mollie" Vasquez, a 60-year-old Caucasian female, was killed on August 14, 2008. She was a retired clerk, having worked for Citi Card Services for 25 years before retiring in 2001. Those who knew her remembered her as a kind and thoughtful person who found great joy in her son, Frank Jr., with whom she loved to go shopping and attend the Iowa State Fair.
On that Thursday,
Mollie Vasquez became an unintended victim in a domestic dispute. As she was driving by a scene of escalating violence, she witnessed the murder of Bounpanh "Bunni" Xayavongchanh by her common-law husband, Nath Inthaboun. After killing his wife, the 31-year-old perpetrator then turned his weapon on Vasquez, shooting and killing her as well.
The tragic events unfolded into a tense standoff with law enforcement. Following the two fatal shootings, Inthaboun barricaded himself inside his home with his children. The Des Moines police engaged in a two-hour standoff with him. Ultimately, authorities used stun grenades to disorient Inthaboun and were able to rescue the children, who were found unharmed. Nath Inthaboun was then taken into custody.
