Jury convicts man of tossing kids off Ala. bridge

[bella-day]

Many of you may remember this case.

This man murdered his four children by tossing them one by one off the Dauphin Island bridge because he was upset with their mother.

He pled guilty and requested the death penalty. When he found out that he would have to stand trial anyway he withdrew his plea.

LINK (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29776110/)


MOBILE, Ala. - A jury on Thursday convicted a 38-year-old man of murdering four children tossed from an Alabama bridge in 2008.
The jury deliberated for only about 40 minutes in Mobile on Thursday before convicting Lam Luong of murder. The defendant, who came to the United States from Vietnam as a teenager, declined an opportunity to address the court and presented no defense witnesses at trial.
Prosecutors said Luong, a part-time shrimp boat worker, drove the family van to the top of Alabama's two-lane Dauphin Island bridge and tossed the children into the Mississippi Sound, some 80 feet below.
The Vietnamese immigrant mother had testified earlier that Luong, her common-law husband, just laughed when he told her that the children — then reported missing — would never be found.
"He kept laughing," Kieu Phan, 23, told jurors on Monday.
Officials said most of the children suffered injuries to the head or neck in addition to asphyxia due to drowning. They said only one child died from drowning alone.
Luong's lawyer, Greg Hughes, had asked the jury to return a reduced charge of manslaughter against his client.
Hughes said Luong was on drugs when he threw the children from a Gulf coast bridge in January 2008.
Luong had confessed to investigators in 2008 and later recanted that he had thrown the children — Ryan Phan, 3, Hannah Luong, 2, Lindsey Luong, 1, and Danny Luong, 4 months — off the bridge after an argument with his wife.

I can't believe this defense attorney. I know he has been tasked to defend this pig....but man slaughter? Give me a break.:rolleyes:

The judge didn't buy nor did the jury. He has been convicted and I feel sure his wish to be put to death will be granted.

[BillyBobUSA]

Good.

Now they should hang him from that same bridge.

[bella-day]

Good.

Now they should hang him from that same bridge.

That's most likely more kindness than he deserves.

The waters he threw his children into are well known for its heavy bull shark population.

[bella-day]

It was just reported on our local news that the jury will deliver the sentence today. He could either be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole.

I almost hope he gets life. The boys in the state prison will see that he has a very long, miserable stay.

[BillyBobUSA]

It was just reported on our local news that the jury will deliver the sentence today. He could either be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole.

I almost hope he gets life. The boys in the state prison will see that he has a very long, miserable stay.


I empathise with your sentiments here, Bella, but I dont care for the thought that our prisons must be hell holes to get true justice.

A perisoner should be able to go to prison without the fear of rape, beatings and extortion, and we shouldnt need that to get a sense of justice being served.

Alot of innocent people get sent to prison and turned into animals today. That needs to stop and I take no comfort in the savagery of our penal system.

[bella-day]

I empathise with your sentiments here, Bella, but I dont care for the thought that our prisons must be hell holes to get true justice.

A perisoner should be able to go to prison without the fear of rape, beatings and extortion, and we shouldnt need that to get a sense of justice being served.

Alot of innocent people get sent to prison and turned into animals today. That needs to stop and I take no comfort in the savagery of our penal system.

There is absolutely no question regarding this man's guilt.

[MrShotShot]

Time to get Old Sparky warmed up.

[EmmanuelGoldstein]

Many of you may remember this case.

This man murdered his four children by tossing them one by one off the Dauphin Island bridge because he was upset with their mother.

He pled guilty and requested the death penalty. When he found out that he would have to stand trial anyway he withdrew his plea.

LINK (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29776110/)



I can't believe this defense attorney. I know he has been tasked to defend this pig....but man slaughter? Give me a break.:rolleyes:

The judge didn't buy nor did the jury. He has been convicted and I feel sure his wish to be put to death will be granted.

He's no doubt suicidal.

[NascarGirl2448]

Hmmmm if this murderer wants death, and has made it public that it wants death, the jury might just sentence it to life in prison because they know that would be the ultimate torture. Reminds me of the Unabomber getting life after he came out and said he wanted the death penalty. Juries aren't stupid. This creep deserves to die, but if the jury thinks death would be the easy way out, so to speak, they would be more likely to sentence the murderer to life in prison.

[Dreamy]

It was just reported on our local news that the jury will deliver the sentence today. He could either be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole.

I almost hope he gets life. The boys in the state prison will see that he has a very long, miserable stay.


I have no idea what made this man do such a heinous disgusting crime but the prison would be in my head if I ever did something this horrible.

When something like this happens it makes me want to know why so badly. Not because I care about this man but because I wish the human mind,heart and soul that can offer so much kindness was not also capable of so much cruelty at times for some people.

God bless those sweet children.

[FidelisAdMortem]

What a savage.

[Vaard]

wow.. i didnt hear about this story till just now........

just horrible......


just out of cuouristiy tho, does anyone know what the argument with his wife was about? i am curious to see what di9sagreement could lead this guy to do this horrible act.....

[countmein]

I think a perfectly fitted pair of cement waders, a strong pair of handcuffs, a bloody piece of meat necklace and a trip to that bridge is in order.

[Dreamy]

This link has a pretty extensive news history of this tragic case.

http://www.wkrg.com/news/topic/lam_luong/

During opening arguments, prosecutors say the Irvington father threw his four young kids off the Dauphin Island Bridge last year so he could see the look on his wife's face. Prosecutors also said Luong was on crack and that he told investigators that they charge him "if" they found the bodies and started laughing.


http://www.wkrg.com/mardi_gras/article/lawyer_luong_wanted_wifes_reaction/24508/

[JudasGoat]

execute him.

[Vaard]

This link has a pretty extensive news history of this tragic case.

http://www.wkrg.com/news/topic/lam_luong/

wow.. that is so totally ****ed up....

[mysticbeauty_nbeast]

This link has a pretty extensive news history of this tragic case.

http://www.wkrg.com/news/topic/lam_luong/

The excuse the lawyer gave...Crack...'he was on drugs' doesn't wash with his clients blatant statement of 'I wanted to see the look on her face'. :eh: Well...which is it? Vengeance of a sick father; hurting his children to get back at his wife?, or Vengeance of a sick father on drugs who hurt his children to get back at his wife? Same diff in my book.

Bottom line...controller who wanted to cause his common law wife great pain and show her what a big man he was. :rolleyes: Never mind the sick rationalization one would have to come up with for such an act. Just the thought that he would even consider acting out this horror on innocent children...much less do such a thing just to get back at another adult shows how twisted this man's thinking is/was..drugs or no drugs. :evil:

I'm surprised his lawyer didn't pull the 'temporary insanity' pleas. Would have bet money on that one.

The fact that this animal laughed, taunting the mother of these children shows me the twisted mentality of this gross excuse for a man. That he also laughed and told the police he couldn't be charged without the proof of bodies..shows me just how dumb he was too boot. :neutral:

~Mysty

[countmein]

Hmmmm if this murderer wants death, and has made it public that it wants death, the jury might just sentence it to life in prison because they know that would be the ultimate torture. Reminds me of the Unabomber getting life after he came out and said he wanted the death penalty. Juries aren't stupid. This creep deserves to die, but if the jury thinks death would be the easy way out, so to speak, they would be more likely to sentence the murderer to life in prison.


IF he really wanted the death penalty, he could have saved the tax payers a lot of time, money, and grief by simply jumping off that bridge himself.

[Dreamy]

IF he really wanted the death penalty, he could have saved the tax payers a lot of time, money, and grief by simply jumping off that bridge himself.

Preferably alone. But of course his goal was not to die. It was to hurt and kill others. Coward.

[bella-day]

wow.. i didnt hear about this story till just now........

just horrible......


just out of cuouristiy tho, does anyone know what the argument with his wife was about? i am curious to see what di9sagreement could lead this guy to do this horrible act.....

If memory serves me right, they had had an argument over his latest girlfriend and the mother of the children getting a job.

I really do not believe a disagreement could lead anyone to such an act. You either have potential for this brand of violence within you or you do not.

He threw those children off an 80' bridge into waters that is known for its bull shark population (you will not find the locals swimming in that area for anything). He didn't pick all 4 of them up and toss them off the bridge in a fit of anger.

This man picked his children up for visitation the night before this took place. He woke up early that morning and gathered his children together so they could get in the car. Then they rode to the bridge.

It was then that he removed his children...one at a time...took that child to the railing...threw him/her over the railing...only return to the car to grab his next victim.

He had time to plan this and God knows he had 4 chances to think it over before making the decission to toss each child into shark infested water.

The reason he was caught is because there was a witness that saw him throw his 4 year old daughter over the railing.

The police did not put 2 and 2 together until the mother contacted them hysterically crying over the telephone conversation she had with this waste of space.

Nobody is responsible for his actions other than he himself.

Vaard, two of these children were not found for weeks.

One was located in the Pascagoula river, north of I10. The bridge from which they were thrown is located 15 miles east of the mouth of the Pascagoula river.

That one little body stayed in the water long enough to travel 15 miles east and about 7 miles north of the point of beginning.

Another child's body was recovered off the coast of LA! Two states away from the bridge.

The suffering of the family and the community as a whole was horrible.

He needs to pay and pay dearly for the murder of these children. There is not excuse for his behavior.

[bella-day]

Looks like the jury granted his wish.

Update:

Jury recommends death for AL man guilty of 4 kids' deaths (http://www.wlox.com/global/story.asp?s=10045195)


MOBILE, AL (AP) - A jury has recommended death for a man who killed four young children by tossing them from atop a coastal Alabama bridge.
The jury deliberated about an hour Friday before recommending the death penalty for 38-year-old Lam Luong, a Vietnemese refugee who was convicted Thursday of capital murder.
Circuit Judge Charles Graddick, who is presiding over the trial, is not bound by the jury's decision.