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Phi Lam's Bloody New Year's Massacre



The Edmonton New Year’s Nightmare: Phu Lam’s Bloody Massacre

On New Year’s Day 2014, the city of Edmonton, Alberta, was rocked by one of the most horrifying mass murders in Canadian history. Phu Lam, a 59-year-old man, killed eight people, including his wife and young son, before taking his own life. This shocking act of violence left a lasting scar on the community and raised many questions about the man behind the massacre and the events that led to such a tragic outcome.

 

The Victims

Phu Lam’s rampage claimed the lives of:

  • Thuy Tien Truong, Lam’s estranged wife, 35 years old

  • Elvis Lam, their 8-year-old son

  • Thanh Ha Thi Truong, Tien’s sister, 33 years old

  • Valentina Nguyen, Ha’s daughter, 3years old

  • Van Dang Truong, Father of Thuy Tien and Ha Truong, 55 years old

  • Thi Dau Le, Mother of Tien, 55 years old

  • Viet Nguyen, Tien’s new boyfriend, 41 years old

After carrying out the murders, Lam drove to another residence in Edmonton; the home of David Lu and his wife Cyndi Duong. Cyndi, the daughter of one of Phu Lam’s enemies, he shot and killed her when her father wasn’t at her home.

 

The Motive

The motive for Phu Lam’s actions stemmed from a toxic mix of personal, financial, and relational pressures. Lam had a tumultuous relationship with his wife, Tien Truong. Their marriage had been strained for years due to infidelity, domestic violence, and financial difficulties.

Adding to this was Lam’s mounting financial troubles. He had accumulated significant gambling debts and had recently faced legal troubles over unpaid taxes and other liabilities. He reportedly felt humiliated by his inability to provide for his family and believed he had been disrespected and abandoned by those closest to him. Not to mention, his wife was now seeing another man.

Lam’s actions also reflected an underlying mental health crisis. Witnesses described him as increasingly despondent and paranoid in the weeks leading up to the murders. With divorce looming in the new year, it seemed as if the final straw had broken the proverbial camel’s back, causing tensions to boil over in a household already marred by conflict.

 

The Crime

Phu Lam began his killing spree at the home he once shared with his wife and her family. Armed with a stolen handgun, he methodically targeted his estranged wife and members of her extended family. Most of the victims were found in their beds, suggesting that they were attacked while sleeping and unable to defend themselves.

After committing these heinous acts, Lam drove to the residence of Cyndi Duong where he killed her in front of her children. It is believed to be retribution for a decades-old feud with Duong’s father. Finally, he drove to a Vietnamese restaurant owned by his former common-law wife, where he was working as a maintenance man servicing equipment in her kitchen at the time. Then, using the same gun to take his own life, and was later discovered by police.

 

Impact on the Community

The Phu Lam murders left the Edmonton community in shock and mourning. Candles and flowers lined the sidewalks near the crime scenes, as neighbors and friends struggled to comprehend the magnitude of the tragedy. Authorities highlighted the importance of addressing domestic violence and mental health issues to prevent such tragedies in the future.

 

Remembering the Victims

In the wake of the Edmonton mass murder of 2014, friends and community members focused on honoring the victims rather than the perpetrator. The families were described as kind, hardworking, and deeply connected to their community. Little Elvis, at just eight years old, was remembered for being a quiet and kind student. Valentina was only three. Phu Lam and Tien Truong’s one year old daughter was spared, as was Ha’s eight-month-old baby.


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Sources used for this podcast:

1.     Edmonton Sun. (2015, January 2). Victims of Edmonton mass murder identified. Retrieved from https://edmontonsun.com/2015/01/02/victims-of-edmonton-mass-murder-identified

2.     Edmonton Sun. (2015, January 23). Rate of extreme domestic violence on the rise in Alberta. Retrieved from https://edmontonsun.com/2015/01/23/rate-of-extreme-domestic-violence-on-the-rise-in-alberta

3.     Edmonton Sun. (2015, January 2). Details surfacing about criminal background of Edmonton killer. Retrieved from https://edmontonsun.com/2015/01/02/details-surfacing-about-criminal-background-of-edmonton-killer

4.     Edmonton Sun. (2015, January 2). Details emerge that show Edmonton killer's plan went back to 2012. Retrieved from https://edmontonsun.com/2015/01/02/details-emerge-that-show-edmonton-killers-plan-went-back-to-2012

5.     Edmonton Journal. (2015). Broken pieces: A year after Edmonton's worst mass murder. Retrieved from https://edmontonjournal.com/news/crime/broken-pieces-a-year-after-edmontons-worst-mass-murder

6.     Edmonton Sun. (2015, January 5). Edmonton school remembers slain boy. Retrieved from https://edmontonsun.com/2015/01/05/edmonton-school-remembers-slain-boy

7.     National Post. (2015). What made Edmonton shooter Phu Lam so angry that he killed eight people. Retrieved from https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/what-made-edmonton-shooter-phu-lam-so-angry-that-he-killed-eight-people

8.     The Star. (2015). Edmonton killer spared two small children, police reveal. Retrieved from https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/edmonton-killer-spared-two-small-children-police-reveal/article_a57a1c46-57a4-5dc6-8f50-e6ec80e1b8d8.html

9.     Global News. (2015). Court documents reveal Phu Lam previously threatened to kill family. Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/news/1752446/court-documents-reveal-phu-lam-previously-threatened-to-kill-family/

10.  Global News. (2023). Edmonton police: Suspicious death a homicide. Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/news/9529548/edmonton-police-suspicious-death-homicide/

11.  Edmonton Journal. (2015). Edmonton mass murderer gunman had threatened to kill family, had lengthy criminal record, gambling problem. Retrieved from https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/edmonton-mass-murder-gunman-had-threatened-to-kill-family-had-lengthy-criminal-record-gambling-problem

12.  Edmonton Journal. (2015). Simons: Families ripped apart by one man’s jealousy, greed and hate. Retrieved from https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/simons-families-ripped-apart-by-one-mans-jealousy-greed-and-hate

13.  Edmonton Journal. (2015). Mass murderer fit profile for domestic homicide: Expert. Retrieved from https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/mass-murderer-fit-profile-for-domestic-homicide-expert

14.  Edmonton Journal. (2015). Southside victim: A wonderful person who will be deeply missed. Retrieved from https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/southside-victim-a-wonderful-person-who-will-be-deeply-missed

15.  Edmonton Journal. (2015). A timeline of events for the senseless mass murder in Edmonton. Retrieved from https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/a-timeline-of-events-for-the-senseless-mass-murder-in-edmonton


DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

All information contained in this video presentation is provided for entertainment purposes only. The authors leave any and all conclusions to individual members of the audience. The author offers no statements of fact beyond those available through diligent private research or through information freely available in the public record. To the extent that pending or settled criminal matters or crime or possible crimes, are discussed in this video presentation. All parties or defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. To the extent that any pending or settle civil matters are discussed in this video presentation, all parties or defendants are presumed not liable unless proven liable in a court of law. Copyright for material incorporated and presented under Fair Use is retained by the original author or copyright holder where applicable. Our cases are researched using open source and archive materials, and the subjects are real crimes and people. We strive to produce each episode with respect to the victims, their families and loved ones. At Hitched 2 Homicide we are committed to always discussing how victims lived, and not just how they died. All podcast information is gleaned from sources given. All opinions in the podcast are solely of Hitched 2 Homicide and are for entertainment purposes only.

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