Camden People - Tri Thach

TRI THACH was born January 1, 1970. Of Vietnamese and Cambodian descent, he came to Camden as did many of his countrymen in the aftermath of the warfare in Vietnam. He lived at two different addresses on Remington Street in East Camden.

On October 98, 1999 Tri Thach is alleged to have shot Nham Le to death at the Saigin Video store on Westfield Avenue. He was a fugitive for almost four years until arrested in Tacoma, Washington during the summer of 2003.

On December 10, 2004 Tri Thach was sentenced to 15 years in prison on one merged count of First Degree Aggravated Manslaughter, which he is currently serving at South Woods State Prison. He will not be eligible for parole until March 27, 2016.

CAMDEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE MEDIA RELEASE - June 25, 2003

CAMDEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE
VINCENT P. SARUBBI, CAMDEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR
MEDIA INFORMATION

June 25, 2003

Camden County Prosecutor Vincent P. Sarubbi and Acting Camden Police Chief Edwin Figueroa announced today that Tri Thach, M/33, is being held in Tacoma, Wash., on a warrant charging him with Murder in connection with the Oct. 9, 1999, death of Nham Le, M/24, in Camden, N.J.

Thach, formerly of the 3300 block of Remington Avenue in Camden, has been a fugitive since shortly after the shooting, which occurred at the Saigon Video Store in the 3400 block of Westfield Avenue at approximately 8:25 p.m. The investigation indicates that Thach entered the store, which also contained a billiard room where the victim and several other individuals were playing. Thach allegedly approached the victim and shot him in the back of the head with a shotgun. Thach and Le had been involved previously in a dispute, the investigation indicates.

Thach was taken into custody in Washington after a police officer patrolling in Tacoma on June 14, 2003, heard gunshots at approximately 3:32 a.m. and responded to a nearby second-floor apartment to find Thach, who had suffered a gunshot wound to the chest. He was taken for treatment to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he was placed under guard after Tacoma Police ran a check and found that Thach was wanted on the Camden County Murder warrant. The defendant has since been transferred to the Pierce County (Wash.) Correctional Facility, where he is being held pending extradition proceedings. It is not clear when the defendant will be returned to Camden County for arraignment.

"This defendant has been on our Most Wanted list and the focus of an extensive manhunt for a number of years," Sarubbi said. "We are most grateful that, as a result of the cooperation of Washington authorities, he is now in custody."

All persons charged with criminal offenses are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law..

CAMDEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE MEDIA RELEASE - July 2, 2003

CAMDEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE
VINCENT P. SARUBBI, CAMDEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR
MEDIA INFORMATION

July 2, 2003

Camden County Prosecutor Vincent P. Sarubbi and Acting Camden Police Chief Edwin Figueroa reported that a judge today set bail at $1 million, cash or bond, for Tri Thach, M/33, who was arrested last month in Washington state on a warrant charging him with Murder in the 1999 fatal shooting of Nham Le, M/24, in Camden, N.J.

Thach was taken into custody in Tacoma, Wash., on June 14, 2003, after a police patrol officer heard gunshots at approximately 3:32 a.m. and responded to a nearby second-floor apartment to find Thach, who had suffered a gunshot wound to the back and shoulder. He was taken for treatment to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he was placed under guard after Tacoma Police ran a check and found that Thach was wanted on the Camden County Murder warrant. The defendant was then transferred to the Pierce County (Wash.) Correctional Facility before being extradited to Camden County. He is being held in the Camden County Correctional Facility.

At an arraignment today, Presiding Criminal Court Judge Linda G. Baxter set bail at $1 million, calling Thach a flight risk who has already fled the area once.

Thach, formerly of the 3300 block of Remington Avenue in Camden, had been a fugitive since shortly after Le's murder at the Saigon Video Store in the 3400 block of Westfield Avenue at approximately 8:25 p.m. on Oct. 9, 1999.

The investigation indicates that Thach entered the store, which also contained a billiard room where the victim and several other individuals were playing. Thach allegedly approached the victim and shot him in the back of the head with a shotgun. Thach and Le had been involved previously in a dispute, the investigation indicates.

No further court dates have been set at this time.

All persons charged with criminal offenses are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.