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SAN PABLO – A 40-year-old San Pablo man is facing murder charges in connection with the disappearance and deaths of his wife and mother-in-law last fall, police said.
On Sept. 13, Phuc Vo told authorities he had not seen his wife, 40-year-old Tho Ngoc Ly, and mother-in-law, 74-year-old Que Thi Tran, since Sept. 6, when they reportedly left home for Southern California in Ly’s 2017 Honda Fit following a family argument, the San Pablo Police Department said in a news release Monday.
While detectives received information indicating Ly and Tran had traveled to that part of the state, it could not be corroborated and their whereabouts remained unknown.
Detectives continued to investigate the case and discovered inconsistencies in Vo’s statement about his wife’s car, which he was seen driving and was recovered in Oakland on Dec. 5, police said.
Vo was identified as a person of interest in the case and then a suspect based on other evidence gathered during the investigation, police said, adding that “it was believed Vo had direct involvement in the disappearance and murders of Tho Ly and Que Tran.”
On Feb. 29, authorities served a search warrant at the family home in the 1900 block of Sutter Avenue. Vo was arrested and booked into the Martinez Detention Facility.
The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office on Monday charged Vo with two counts of murder with a special circumstance enhancement. He remains in custody.
The investigation is ongoing and the location of the victims’ remains has not been confirmed, according to police.
Anyone with information related to the case can contact the police department at 510-215-3150.
Originally published at Jason Green