EVERETT — A 48-year-old Seattle man was arrested Thursday afternoon for investigation of a 2004 stabbing death of a man in Everett.
The suspect, Tam Nguyen, was at a home in the 7700 block of Hardeson Road early the morning of Oct. 23, 2004, according to a police report filed Thursday in Everett District Court. That’s where Hoang Nguyen, 31, was found with a 7-inch-deep stab wound to the chest. He was taken to a hospital, where doctors tried surgery. He died during the procedure. His family held a funeral service for him a week later, according to an obituary published in The Daily Herald at the time.
The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office classified Hoang Nguyen’s death as a homicide.
Witnesses said friends had come over that night to help the victim with a home project, according to court documents. They cooked dinner and drank beer and rum. The suspect and other attendees reportedly got drunk. Tam and Hoang Nguyen got into an argument.
One witness told police she asked them to leave, but they ignored her. The witness went to separate the two as they continued to argue, grabbing each other. When she did, she saw a knife in Tam Nguyen’s left hand, according to the police report.
The witness said it had serrations like a steak knife. Another witness said he helped separate the suspect and victim, pulling the victim to the living room. Hoang Nguyen walked to the door but fell on the glass coffee table, shattering it.
The witness told police he just thought the victim drank too much. But when he collapsed again, he noticed the blood on his body. Blood was also found on the kitchen cabinets and refrigerator. Police say this shows Hoang Nguyen was stabbed in the kitchen.
Shortly after the victim’s collapse, Tam Nguyen left, according to a witness.
When police interviewed Tam Nguyen at the time, he denied having done the stabbing, according to court papers.
The case got picked up again in April when detectives started interviewing the witnesses again. They gave similar information, but one gave another detail. He told police in July that he noticed a knife that had been on the counter before the fight was missing and never found, according to the police report.
The Snohomish County Violent Offender Task Force arrested Tam Nguyen for investigation of second-degree murder around 2:45 p.m. Thursday in Seattle, according to Everett police.
Everett District Court Judge Pro Tempore Remy Leonard set bail at $50,000 Friday.
Detectives haven’t been able to locate the victim’s family to let them know an arrest has been made. Everett police are asking anyone who knew Hoang Nguyen and has contact information for his family to call their tip line at 425-257-8450.
Jake Goldstein-Street: 425-339-3439; jake.goldstein-street@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @GoldsteinStreet.
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