Bentonville murder suspect will remain in the State Hospital

 Huong Truong
Huong Truong

BENTONVILLE -- A new mental evaluation determined a woman is unfit to be tried for murder, and she will remain in the Arkansas State Hospital, a judge decided Monday.

Huong Truong, 34, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting of a man in 2011. Truong was found unfit to stand trial and has been in the State Hospital since April 12, 2012.

She was returned Aug. 2 to the Benton County Jail. The State Hospital sent court officials a letter saying the treatment team believed Truong was fit for trial. The letter also stated a Vietnamese interpreter was needed for a mental evaluation, but the State Hospital didn't have one.

Jay Saxton, Benton County's chief public defender, requested a hearing to learn more about the treatment team's decision. Truong wasn't at Monday's hearing. She was returned to the State Hospital after spending a few days in the county jail.

She received a mental evaluation with the assistance of a Vietnamese interpreter. She was found unfit, and it's unlikely she will ever be restored, according to the report.

Circuit Judge Robin Green ordered Truong be committed to the State Hospital as result of the latest evaluation.

Truong is accused of killing Minh Van Trinh in 2011. Hoa Le of Bentonville told police she drove Trinh to Truong's home on Southeast Seventh Street. Trinh asked Le to drive him there after he saw an online advertisement for massages, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Le claims she waited in her vehicle and saw Trinh knock on the glass door on the west side of the home. He then went to the front door, according to court documents. Le said a woman she knew as "Huong" answered the door and began speaking with Trinh, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Truong left the doorway as Trinh remained standing outside the residence on the front step. Le said she heard a muffled noise and watched Trinh fall back off the porch onto the ground, according to court documents.

Police later found a Kel-tec .380-caliber semiautomatic pistol and a shell casing in the house.

NW News on 08/29/2017

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