FALLS CHURCH, Va. — Police say a man has been arrested for killing his father, in the 5th case of a son killing a parent or sibling in Fairfax County this year.
According to Fairfax County Police Major Crimes Bureau Chief Ed O'Carroll, 78-year-old Truman Nguyen was reported missing on Monday by a family member who had last seen him on Sunday.
O'Carroll says multiple people reached out to the police with tips about a body buried behind a home in the 3000 block of Nevius Street in Falls Church.
The body of Truman Nguyen was found buried behind the home Wednesday afternoon.
O'Carroll said 19-year-old Philip Nguyen has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder for his father's death. He is being held at the Fairfax Detention Center with no bond.
Fairfax Police Chief Kevin Davis said in a press conference Wednesday that this case marks the 5th time a son has been arrested for killing a parent or sibling in Fairfax County in 2021.
“A disturbing trend, indeed,” said Davis.
Truman Nguyen's death also marks the 18th homicide in Fairfax County so far this year. A stark increase from the six homicides that happened in the county in the same time span last year, according to O'Carroll.
“Here we are again, I’m heartbroken," said O'Carroll.
O'Carroll said officers have visited the house where the body was buried several times in the past for various reasons, including domestic disputes and issues.
Sherry Garay lived next to the Nguyen family and said she frequently saw Truman Nguyen outside.
“Truman was an awesome neighbor,” she said. “I mean, the first day I moved into the house in 1999, Truman came over to introduce himself. Told me a lot of his background. Told me that if we ever needed anything, he was there for us. He was always gardening.”
However, Garay said neighbors often heard people fighting inside the Nguyen home.
“They had classic, knockdown drag-out fights in that house that we’ve heard for years and years,” she said.
Garay added that other neighbors claimed they could hear yelling inside the Nguyen home on Sunday.
Falls Church resident Tim Gordon also lived nearby Nguyen. He said he had spoken to Nguyen in the past but had seen him sparingly around the neighborhood over the last five years.
“I’ve only seen him a couple of times in the last several years,” he said.
An autopsy will be done by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine how Truman Nguyen was killed. Evidence continues to be collected and analyzed as investigators continue to comb through the property.
“Although a body has been discovered, although an arrest has been made, this case is far from concluded,” said O'Carroll.
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