Man charged with second-degree murder in shooting death of longtime friend in Tacoma
A man accused of shooting a longtime friend while they worked on a house together in Tacoma has been charged.
Prosecutors charged Thien Van Doan with second-degree murder Thursday in the death of 52-year-old Dung Mai.
Doan, 46, pleaded not guilty at arraignment.
Pierce County Superior Court Commissioner Craig Adams set bail at $250,000.
Probable cause documents give this account:
Neighbors called 911 after hearing a gunshot Friday night in the 7400 block of Pacific Avenue, where Doan and Mai had been working on the house.
Family said the men were like brothers and that Mai lived with Doan’s family for many years.
Police arrived and found Mai with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Doan was inside the house.
One neighbor said he heard the men arguing about money just before the shooting.
Mai had more than $2,000 on him and a plane ticket to Vietnam.
Evidence indicated that Mai was killed with a 9 mm handgun. Police got a search warrant for Doan’s 9 mm handgun, which will be tested by the state crime lab.
“The police obtained additional search warrants for the property and several neighboring properties in support of a thorough search for a handgun at the scene,” the declaration for determination of probable cause filed Thursday says. “Despite extensive searches — aided by the cutting down of heavy brush surrounding the residence, the dismantling of walls, and the employment of a search and rescue team — no firearms were recovered from the scene.”
The court records also note that surveillance video did not show anyone fleeing the scene.
Loved ones submitted more than a dozen letters and many signatures in support of Doan to defense attorney Michael Stewart to give the court for Thursday’s arraignment.
The letters described Doan as a hard worker who takes care of his family and is heavily involved in his church.
This story was originally published October 24, 2019 at 12:02 PM.
