A 65-year-old man from Cypress, Texas, Lam Tran, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after being found guilty of murdering his wife, My Dang, 49, with a nail gun. The incident occurred in their home on Peralta Springs Lane on January 10, 2022. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office made the announcement on Thursday.
Upon receiving a 911 call, deputies arrived at the scene to find Dang in a pool of her own blood. She had been brutally beaten to death with a heavy pneumatic nail gun. Tran, who had attempted to take his own life by shooting himself with the nail gun multiple times, was found severely injured.
Before his suicide attempt, Tran had sent farewell messages to his loved ones. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg commented on the tragic case, highlighting the heightened risk for victims of domestic abuse when they attempt to leave their abusers. She emphasized that Dang was trying to escape an abusive relationship, and her death was a result of her husband’s inability to relinquish control over her.
Tran was airlifted to Memorial Hermann for treatment. The couple, both Vietnamese immigrants, had moved to Houston from Minnesota. They were employed at a plant that produces HVAC equipment.
Court records reveal that Harris County District Court Judge Veronica M. Nelson sentenced Tran to four decades in prison for the murder of Dang. Tran had pleaded guilty to one count of murder in May, following Dang’s filing for divorce five months prior.
On the night of the murder, police responded to a 911 call from a man with slurred speech, later identified as Tran, requesting medical assistance. Upon entering the house, they found Dang in her pajamas, lying in a pool of blood in the master bedroom. A nail covered in blood and hair was found nearby, and Tran was discovered in the living room, severely injured.
An autopsy confirmed that Dang’s injuries were consistent with being repeatedly struck by a heavy object, matching the pattern of the nail gun found at the scene. Interviews with family members revealed that Dang had filed for divorce in August 2021 and Tran had been served with divorce papers in December 2021. Dang’s niece told police that Dang had expressed fear of Tran’s reaction to the divorce papers and his intention to prolong the divorce process.