Mission – (with files from Black Press) UPDATE FEBRUARY 16, 2024 – 63 year old Van Chau Nguyen was sentenced on February 15 to life in prison with 12 years of parole ineligibility after previously pleading guilty to the 2020 murder of Vien Ngoc Bui of Mission.
The body was dismembered and set on fire. The property was a marijuana grow op.
Nguyen has been in the Surrey Pre-Trial Centre since his arrest in October 2020 and requires daily medications to treat hepatitis B, the court heard.
ORIGINAL STORY – AUGUST 2020 – Early Saturday morning (August 8, @ 2AM) emergency responders were called to a fire at a property in the 30800-block of Gunn Avenue in Mission. Once the fire was extinguished, human remains were found inside the building. The circumstances surrounding the fire and the found body were suspicious and IHIT was called in to take conduct of the investigation.
IHIT is currently working with its partners from the Mission RCMP and the Integrated Forensic Identification Services to complete priority tasks as well as the B.C. Coroners Service who are conducting a concurrent investigation to determine identification and cause of death.
“We are in the beginning stages of the investigation and we need witnesses and drivers with dashcam video to come forward,” says Sergeant Frank Jang of IHIT. “Our priority now is to determine the identity of our victim.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the IHIT information line at 1-877-551- IHIT (4448), or by email at ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
Should you wish to remain anonymous, please contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
