On July 29, 2017, Beverly Cory, a 48-year-old financial adviser from Maplewood, Minnesota, was tragically killed in her office in Mendota Heights, a suburb of Saint Paul. The incident occurred during a series of events that began with a home invasion robbery. The suspect, identified as Lucifer Nguyen, 44, of New Hope, Minnesota, entered a house in Mendota Heights, brandishing a gun and demanding cash.
After crashing the car he was driving, Nguyen fled on foot and forced his way into a senior living center, where he held an employee at gunpoint in a laundry room.
While police were evacuating the senior living center, officers received a report of blood seeping from underneath an office door in a nearby building. Upon investigation, they discovered Beverly Cory's body. An autopsy revealed that she had died from a single gunshot wound to the head. Authorities found that Cory's car, a 2005 Toyota Corolla, was missing and later located it at the Washington County Fairgrounds, approximately 16 miles away.
A nationwide manhunt ensued for Lucifer Nguyen, who was eventually captured on July 31, 2017, in Blaine, Minnesota. Nguyen was arrested after a car he was a passenger in was pulled over, with the assistance of his brother, who had been in contact with law enforcement. Nguyen was charged with second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree aggravated robbery, first-degree burglary, and kidnapping. He was held at the Dakota County Jail with bail set at $1.5 million without conditions or $1 million with conditions.
The tragic death of Beverly Cory shocked the community, and law enforcement officials expressed their condolences to her family while emphasizing their commitment to bringing Nguyen to justice. There was no known connection between Nguyen and Cory, making the crime appear to be a random act of violence.
