Kent man charged with stabbing wife to death in their bedroom

A 52-year-old Kent man faces a second-degree murder charge for allegedly stabbing his 48-year-old wife inside their home.

Hong Tien Pham is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 20 in the GA courtroom at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. Hong remained in the King County Correctional Facility on Oct. 10 with bail set at $2 million.

“The defendant attacked his wife, stabbing her multiple times in the neck with a pair of scissors,” wrote Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Brent Kling in charging documents filed Oct. 7. “This all occurred while their 10-year-old daughter was asleep in the home.”

Hong reportedly told multiple family members, including his brother and adult son, that he killed Thuyen Hoang, his wife, according to court documents. Kent detectives observed traces of blood in the master bathroom, though much of the traces were only visible via a blood detecting chemical agent and were not observed by the naked eye, evidencing Hong’s efforts to dispose of and conceal evidence of the crime.

Officers responded at about 12:30 a.m. Oct. 6 to an East Hill residence in the 12500 block of SE 259th Place regarding a welfare check and possibly a domestic assault, according to court documents. Hong’s brother called 911 to report the incident. While en route to the home, officers were advised that a man in the residence had made statements to a family member about killing his wife.

Officers arrived shortly after being dispatched and began investigating to determine the welfare and location of the reported victim. Officers made multiple attempts to contact the residents through knocking and phone calls inside, but there was no response and no indication that anyone was home, according to a Kent Police news release.

The officers called the reporting party, who was not at the scene, for more information. They were given alternative phone numbers to the residence to try but were not able to make contact inside the home. Officers were unable to confirm if a crime had occurred, according to police.

While still on scene, the officers were diverted to a robbery in progress call at about 12:38 a.m. in the 18000 block of East Valley Highway. Witnesses called 911 to report that several suspects armed with firearms were in the process of committing a robbery, according to police. The initial information given to dispatch was that the reporting person could see three people possibly being held at gunpoint inside the business.

Multiple officers stabilized the scene of the robbery incident, determined that the suspects had fled in a vehicle, and the victims were safe.

While some officers remained at the robbery scene, other officers were dispatched back to the East Hill residence at about 1:09 a.m. when a relative of the victim advised that the front door was open to allow the officers the ability to conduct a welfare check of the residence, according to police.

Upon arrival, officers were able to contact Hong via a police PA system. They negotiated him out of the residence and detained him without incident at about 1:33 a.m.

Officers then conducted a search of the home and located the wife inside a bedroom with apparent stab wounds, according to police. Officers found bloodied scissors in the bedroom, according to court documents.

The victim’s injuries were significant, and she appeared to be deceased. Officers, Puget Sound Fire and Medic 1 personnel provided life-saving measures, but she did not survive. The daughter was found safe and uninjured.

Police arrested the husband for suspicion of murder and booked him into the King County jail.

An officer spoke with Hong utilizing a Vietnamese interpreter and advised him of his Miranda Rights. During the interview, Hong cried almost the entire time, according to court documents. He said he and his wife went to bed between 11 p.m. and midnight. He did not explain why he stabbed his wife. Hong had several fresh scratches on his neck but no other obvious injuries, according to charging papers.

After talking a short time with police, Hong said he would not talk further unless there was a lawyer present.

The adult son of Hong told detectives that his father believed his mom, despite any proof, was cheating on him. He said his father had anger issues but he never thought he would do this, according to court documents.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that one of the two distinct stab wounds on the right side of Thuyen’s neck had lacerated her jugular vein, according to charging papers. She also had numerous other superficial stab wounds to her chest and right arm.

Domestic violence resources

Local: dawnrising.org

National: Domestic Violence Hotline:/multiple languages 800-799-7233