Opinion ID: 2517841
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Murder and Related Crimes

Text: In December 1989, defendant was on parole in San Bernardino County. He could not travel far from home or relocate without the permission of his parole officer. Several times before December 17, defendant was denied permission to move and transfer parole to Missouri. The reason was that he had not arranged for proper transportation in the form of a plane, bus, or car ride. Defendant's girlfriend, Rhonda Lyon, last saw him in the second week of December 1989, apparently in San Bernardino County. He said he wanted to visit his uncle in Garden Grove, and then go to Missouri. Defendant confirmed these plans several times over the phone between December 12 and 17. The last time Lyon spoke to defendant in California was at 3:58 p.m. on December 17, 1989, about two hours before the murder. He telephoned her from Garden Grove, where he was staying with his uncle, Charles Brown, and Brown's roommate, Tony Goodwin. In his phone call with Lyon, defendant announced his imminent departure to Missouri, and said he would either hitchhike or get money from relatives. Defendant mentioned his family in Missouri, and said he knew the trip would violate parole. Lyon knew of no source of income that defendant had at the time. The murder victim, Nguyen, worked at the Perfect Bride, a bridal shop next door to the Thrifty Drug Store in Garden Grove. According to her employer, Nguyen arrived at work at 5:00 p.m. on December 17, 1989. The parking lot along the front and side of the store was full. She apparently parked her cara white Toyota MR2in the back. Nguyen called her family around 5:30 p.m. She indicated that she was headed home, but planned to stop at the grocery store first. She left work at some point before 6:00 p.m. She carried her purse and a white-sequined cloth applique at the time. At 7:05 p.m. on December 17, two employees discarded trash behind the Thrifty Drug Store. One of them was Michael Elrod, the manager. Elrod testified that near the dumpster, in a semi-enclosed alcove littered with debris, he saw a young womanNguyenon the ground. She was naked from the waist down, and her sweater was pulled up onto her stomach. Her legs were slightly spread apart. Foam bubbled from her mouth, and she was barely breathing. When paramedics arrived and moved Nguyen's head, Elrod saw a wound in her temple and blood on the ground. Police officers, including James Holder, arrived at the scene. Holder accompanied Nguyen in the ambulance to the hospital. Hospital personnel gave Holder a watch and jewelry retrieved from Nguyen. [2] Meanwhile, at the crime scene, $31 was found in Nguyen's jeans. Her purse, and car were gone. That same evening, possibly around 6:00 o'clock, Brown and Goodwin returned to their Garden Grove home after Christmas shopping. The home was located a few blocks from the Thrifty Drug Store. Defendant, Brown's nephew, had been a houseguest for three days. When defendant arrived the first day, he came by taxi and had no car. However, Goodwin testified that on the evening of December 17, a white Toyota MR2 he had never seen before was parked outside. [3] Inside the house, Goodwin noticed that defendant was sweating as he spoke to Brown. Defendant then headed toward the Toyota outside. That was the last time Goodwin saw either defendant or the car.