SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) In April 2006 a man was beaten to death just a few blocks away from the South Salt Lake City Police Department. We are looking back at the murder in our Unsolved Cases Report in hopes of finding a killer.
South Salt Lake City Executive Police Officer Gary Keller says the victim “Was found by two people who were driving by on a Saturday afternoon. They saw him laying on the ground, face down, bleeding from his head.” The victim was identified as 23-year-old Tommy Donguyen wasn’t dead, but it was too late for him. He would die a few hours later in the hospital. Keller says, "It appears he was beaten. He had blunt force trauma to his head."
Keller says police know how he was killed, however there were not witnesses and not a lot of evidence. That has left them to speculate on exactly what went down on April 29th, 2006 in a parking lot on 2800 South and 900 West. Keller says, "Maybe one individual, maybe multiple - we don't know."
We are taking action to show you the scene (see pictures) and Donguyen’s vehicle (see pictures) as a way to possible develop a new lead. And police believe revisiting the case now could provide just that. In fact, when I asked Keller if all the time that has passed was a good or bad thing he said it could be a good thing. "Alliances diminish and people have changes in friendships - that could be the thing that will break this case and somebody will come forward with information that we can use and that will lead us to the suspect."
Donguyen was a known gang member and had a criminal history, but Keller says this is about finding a killer - not judging a victim. Hudson: "Obviously this guy wasn't a model citizen, does that change how you approach the investigation?" Keller: "Not at all. Not at all. Our main focus is to resolve this crime. Find out who the perpetrator is and find some closure for the family.” And that begins by getting someone to remember something and then come forward with the new information.
For more information:
http://www.southsaltlakecity.com/POLICE/policedepthome.html
