CYPRESS, Texas — A judge sentenced a 65-year-old Cypress man to 40 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to beating his wife to death with a nail gun, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced on Friday.
Lam Ngoc Tran was convicted of killing his wife, 49-year-old My Thai Dang, at there home in Cypress on Jan. 10 in 2022.
“This is a horrible murder, and it reinforces that the most dangerous time for a battered spouse is when they are trying to leave the relationship,” Ogg said. “This woman was trying to get away from an abusive husband, and the only reason she is dead is because he could not stand to lose control of her.”
The DA's office said deputies found Dang in a pool of her own blood and that she had been beaten with a pneumatic nail gun. Deputies also found that Tran had tried to take his own life by shooting himself with the nail gun several times. He was flown to a hospital and survived his injuries.
Authorities said he sent "goodbye" texts to loved ones before attempting to take his own life.
Dang had emigrated to Minnesota from Vietnam before moving to Houston to marry Tran, according to Assistant DA Matthew Magill.
“They had been married six or seven years and things had escalated into a cycle of domestic violence,” Magill said. “They were scheduled for a hearing for a protective order the very next day, and his response was that if he couldn’t be with her, no one would.”
Resources for victims of domestic or family violence
Domestic and family violence cases in the Houston area have increased at an alarming rate. Victims often suffer in silence because they feel scared, helpless or ashamed.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, here are some discreet ways to reach out for help.
The Houston Area Women’s Center has a 24-hour hotline for victims of domestic violence at 713-528-2121 or 1-800-256-0551.
The Family Time Crisis Center can also be reached 24 hours a day at 281-446-2615.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
Crisis Text Line: Text START to 88788.