Almost four years after a “brutal” attack at a marijuana growing facility in Mission, a B.C. man has been sentenced to life in prison.
On Aug. 8, 2020, Nguyen killed one person and confined and assaulted four others at a residence on Gunn Avenue in Mission, B.C. Supreme Court documents state. He then set the house on fire before fleeing the scene and disposing of his weapons.
While the court’s decision does not specify Nguyen’s motive, it does note he had worked at the marijuana growing operation and resided at the main residence on the property for several months prior. He stopped working on the property one month before the incident occurred.
Nguyen was arrested in October 2020 and pled guilty in May 2023. Court documents state letters of support on Nguyen’s behalf from his wife and adult children were received by the judge.
Before August 2020, Nguyen had a minor criminal record without any crimes of violence included.
The judgement by the Honourable Justice Michael Tammen states Van Nguyen, 63, will be eligible for parole in 12 years, due to his age and health condition.
Court documents state the aggregating factors in Tammen’s decision include the violent nature of the killing, intentional arson, evidence of forethought and confinement of victims.
An expression of genuine remorse by Nguyen also contributed to the decision, court documents state.
Per Tammen’s orders, Nguyen must provide a sample of DNA to be added to a DNA database, abide by a lifetime prohibition from possessing various weapons, and not make any attempts to communicate with the surviving victims during his sentence.