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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 2000)
Man sentenced for murder of friend ■Dat Nguyen killed the woman in1999aftershe wanted to end a relationship. nvinaHHMt A remorseful Dat Nguyen was sentenced to 30 years in prison Tuesday for the 1999 murder of his co-worker and friend. Both the prosecution and defense acknowledged the diffi cult life Nguyen lived as an Asian American growing up in post-war Vietnam and later as an immigrant in America. In May, Nguyen, 30, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, and as part of a plea agreement, the county attorney dropped the original first-degree murder and use of a weapon to commit a felony charges. “I am also struck by the remorse Mr. Nguyen has shown almost from the start,” Lancaster County District Court Judge Karen Flowers said. “But I cannot accept that this death was accidental.” Nguyen’s clean record and non-violent history were a fac tor in the judge’s decision not to impose the maximum sentence of life in prison. Nguyen will be eligible for parole in 13112 years with credit for the time he has already served. Sentencing was delayed from July to allow for the com pletion of the pre-sentencing investigation. County Attorney Gary Lacey had asked for a life sentence, as he had already lowered the charges. “(Nguyen) came to America, he decided to live in America, and he must live by their stan dards,” Lacey said. Betty Bich Tran, 34, was found dead in her home by her sister April 8, 1999. Tran had been strangled and her wrists slit. Tran and Nguyen worked together at Farmland Foods in Crete, where they developed a relationship although Nguyen still had a wife and child in Vietnam. Deputy Lancaster County Public Defender Scott Helvie said that before the murder, Tran had wanted to end the rela tionship. “He decided to scare her into wanting a relationship,” Helvie said of his client’s mindset before the murder. After Nguyen realized what he had done, Helvie said his client went back to his home, locked himself in his room and slit his own wrists. Police con tacted Nguyen at the hospital that night. Helvie said Nguyen had asked him to express regret to the Tran family because his client has only a first-grade edu cation and does not speak English well. ”In my 24 years of practicing law, I’ve seen more remorse from Oat (Nguyen) than anyone else with this defense,” Helvie said. At the hearing, Nguyen became visibly choked up as his life story was recounted by Helvie and translated back. Nguyen was born to an American father and Vietnamese mother in 1970 in Saigon and then abandoned at a child care center shortly after “(Nguyen) decided to scare her into wanting a relationship Scott Helvie Deputy Lancaster County public _defender birth. Nguyen was later adopted by a woman who worked at the child care center. His adoptive family applied for visas to move to the United States when Nguyen was 13, but they did not hear anything until 1991, after Nguyen had been married for three years. Nguyen's family could not move to America unless he came, and if he brought his wife, then his adoptive family could not come. That left Nguyen with what Helvie called a “fairly horrible decision." In 1991, Nguyen came to the United States with his adoptive family, and a year later he moved to Nebraska. Lincoln Poke give 57 tickets at nine partieslast weekend The Lincoln Police Department’s party enforcement squad was back in action for the second weekend in a row, handing out 57 tickets at nine parties on Friday and Saturday. Many of the people cited for party-related violations in this campaign were caught on the street outside parties, Lincoln Police ChiefTbm Casady said. “We weren't quite as effective at getting into parties this week,” Casady said. The party enforcement squad was formed three years ago to deal with mounting complaints from neighbors, who were fed up with the noise, litter, parking problems, crowds and public urination. Many of the parties are located in neighborhoods surrounding City Campus, though eariier sta tistics showed that foe majority of people cited at these parties are not UNL students. But if University of Nebraska Lincoln students are ticketed at a party, they may face sanctions under the student code of con duct Police arrest two, seize meth,marijuana,ash,guns A Lincoln Police search war rant served Monday evening net ted several ounces of meth am phetamine and marijuana and $1,005 cash. TWo people were arrested dur ing the search that narcotics offi cers executed at 2525 Cleveland Ave. #46 at 7:30 p.m., Lincoln Police spokesman Rich Mackey said. Both of the people arrested lived in the trailer home. Douglas Knuth, 33, was arrested for pos session of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Three 380-caliber hand guns were also seized in the search. Latriesha Rogers, 31, was arrested for possession of a con trolled substance and an out standing wanant Poficesaymanhit roommate with hammer A dispute between room mates became violent Monday evening when one man struck the other with a hammer several times. The 41-year-old victim suf fered a fractured bone under his left eye from his roommate’s ham mer assault, which occurred around 8 p.m., Mackey said. Both men live at 844 Peach St where the attack occurred, though the assailant had not been con tacted by Tuesday morning. 2 boys arrested for thefts during traffic stop At least five thefts from cars were cleared with an early morn ing traffic stop Monday. Two 17-year-old boys were arrested for die thefts after stolen property was found in their car, Mackey said. The two boys were stopped near 27th and Kensington streets just before 3 a.m. Damage from the thefts is estimated at $825 and the loss is $733. Minor injuries reported in 17th street acadent No major injuries were report ed in a downtown accident at 17th and P streets onTbesday. Just before 9 ajn., a 1989 Ford Escort going north on 17th Street entered the intersection of 17th and P streets before realizing the traffic light was red, said Lincoln Police Capt. David Beggs. After the Escort entered the intersection, a Lincoln Land tow truck collided with the car, caus ing it to roll over. The Escort, driv en by 19-year-old Cynthia Dobbins of\^verty, was totaled. Kevin Harms, 42, from Roca, was driving foe tow truck. Dobbins sustained minor injuries. She was treated and released from Bryan LGH Medical Center West Compiled by Josh Funk I Kapla II us | I stop in 51ml h I admissii Your QRE score is critical to your grad financial aid award. How you prepare car > Come to Kaplan, the leader in GREpr* score you need to get into your topn The role of the College union is to provide education, cultural, recreational and social programs that enhance the quality of life for members of the academic community. As the “Campus Living Room” since 1938, the Nebraska Union continues to provide services to meet the needs of the students, faculty, staff, and guests of UNL. NEBRASKA UNIONS FOOD SERVICE OPERATIONS The Caffina Cafe, Starbucks coffee and Island Oasis fruit drinks The Bakery, featuring gourmet coffee, sandwiches and fresh baked goods The Academic Grind, (located in Oldfather Hall), coffee house and food service area Catering, from coffee calls to fine dining ' -333:' QwiKick, located in the Stadium Drive Parking Garage U-Express Carts, located in Architectural Hall, CBA and Nebraska Hall fi The Lincoln Caffe, Nebraska Center for Continuing Education Services at the City Union: -1 >! 27 Station Computer Lab, 12 Station Internet/ E-mail RecRoom I-1 __ Copy Center University Program Council University Bookstore I Iffell I SEIC- Student Employment Training and Development ■ Conference Meeting Rooms and Suites Career Services Student Art Gallery Daily Nebraskan Greek Affairs Women’s Center Student Involvement ASUN Student Government Student Legal Services Banking and Teller Services Business Offices Residence Hall Association Student Organization Offices Services at the East Union: University Bookstore ATM Services Student Involvement Lanes - N - Games - (bowling, billiards and video arcade) Bakery Information Desk Computer Lab Union Cafe Career Services Copy Center Buisness Offices Conference meeting rooms and suites i > ' * > * - * i