New sentence disappoints family

Published 9:00 pm Friday, September 30, 2005

Relatives of Carrie Ann Tran don’t like it, but they are resigned to the fact that the man who shot and killed the 17-year-old Seattle girl received a much lighter prison term on Friday than he did 13 years ago.

Tran was in a car with a group of young people when Huy Vu Dang, now 32, fired three times at someone leaning out of the car window. One of the bullets killed Tran.

Dang, a Vietnamese immigrant, has served all of the 13-year prison term that Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Eric Lucas gave him on Friday. That was the maximum term under state law. Dang won’t go free, however, until federal officials decide whether he will be deported.

Stephen Tran of Seattle, Carrie Ann Tran’s brother, questions why Dang wrote in a statement to the court that “I deeply regret Ms. Tran was killed,” but declined to verbally express that in court.

“It would have been better if he had said it himself,” said Stephen Tran, who was with several other relatives in court.

Carrie Ann’s father, Van Tran of Seattle, said he “has to accept it, but I really don’t like it.”

Dang initially was convicted of second-degree murder and five counts of second-degree assault. He received a 33-year prison term. The murder conviction was overturned recently by a pair of state Supreme Court decisions.

His case and scores of others around the state were tried under the theory that the death was unintentional and occurred during an assault. That meant all the cases had to be returned for further consideration.

This time, Snohomish County prosecutors filed a first-degree murder charge against Dang, which could have gotten him a long prison term. However, it would have been difficult to try the case 13 years after the fact, chief deputy prosecutor Mark Roe said.

On Friday, deputy prosecutor Al Gehri and Seattle defense lawyer Richard Hanson appeared before Lucas with a reduced charge of second-degree murder. Gehri also dismissed five assault charges, which would have increased the penalty if Dang had been convicted of them.

Lucas noted it was ironic that second-degree murder with a 13-year prison term was the original plea offer rejected by Dang in 1992. If it had not been for the Supreme Court rulings, Dang would still have many years to serve, Lucas said.

He added that he’s struck by Dang’s firm family support. His mother and sister were in the courtroom, and said they were happy that Dang’s prison sentence is over but apprehensive that he might be deported.

“Right now, he’s out of prison, and that’s one step,” said his sister, Tina Dang.

Hanson said what will happen to Dang is uncertain. Federal officials 10 years ago issued a deportation order for Dang.

Hanson said his client was remorseful but couldn’t speak about Carrie Ann Tran’s death in court.

“He’s just too full of emotion right now to make a statement,” Hanson said. “He feels horrible about this.”

Reporter Jim Haley: 425-339-3447 or haley@heraldnet.com.

New sentence disappoints family