For the past several months, a 52-year-old Kent man frequently argued with his wife, accusing her of infidelity, before fatally stabbing her with scissors last week in the home they shared with their 10-year-old daughter, according to King County prosecutors.
Hong Pham was arrested Thursday and later charged with second-degree murder domestic violence in the killing of his wife, Thuyen Hoang, 48. He remains jailed in lieu of $2 million bail.
The King County Medical Examiner's Office on Tuesday publicly identified Hoang and determined she died from multiple sharp force injuries. Her death was ruled a homicide.
A family member called 911 at about 12:30 a.m. Thursday and asked Kent police to conduct a welfare check at Pham and Hoang's residence in the 12500 block of Southeast 259th Place, charging papers say. The relative told a dispatcher Pham had called him and said he was killing his wife.
Kent police officers arrived eight minutes later. They found the house dark with no signs of movement inside, and no one answered their repeated knocks, the charges say.
Officers left 10 minutes later to respond to an unrelated emergency call.
A second family member called 911 at about 1 a.m. as he drove to the couple's house, where he found the front door open and a light on inside, the charges say. When officers arrived for the second time, the family member aided police by ordering Pham, who primarily speaks Vietnamese, to come outside.
Pham complied and was taken into custody about 1:30 a.m. Police noted he had fresh scratches to his neck but no other obvious injuries, charging papers say.
Officers went to the open front door and ordered anyone else inside to come out. A 10-year-old girl, later identified as Pham and Hoang's daughter, was escorted out of the house, according to the charges. She was not physically hurt.
Officers then went inside and found Hoang lying on the floor in the master bedroom. She had been stabbed in the neck with a pair of scissors left at her feet, the charges say.
Though officers and medics attempted CPR, Hoang died at the scene.
A third family member later told police Pham thought Hoang had been unfaithful, even though there was no proof of it, say the charges.
