GUILTY CA - Annie Hung 'Kim' Pham, 23, dies from beating outside Santa Ana nightclub

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Kim Pham beating: Police identify third 'person of interest' (updated)
Ed Joyce | January 30th, 2014, 1:51pm

1:51 p.m.: Police identify third 'person of interest'

Santa Ana police say a third woman sought for questioning in the fatal beating of Kim Pham has been identified and investigators are arranging to interview her.

The news comes at the same two other women charged with murder in the case appeared in court.

"At this point in the investigation, detectives have identified all the parties involved, including the third woman who remains a person of interest. Detectives are working with the person of interest to set up an interview," Santa Ana Police Department spokesman Cpl. Anthony Bertagna told KPCC in an email.

(snip)
12:37 p.m.: 2 women charged with murder to be tried together

Two women facing murder charges in connection with the beating of Kim Pham will be tried together.


More@link

http://www.scpr.org/news/2014/01/30/41900/kim-pham-beating-2-women-charged-with-murder-to-be/

#JusticeForKimPham
:rose:
:heartbeat:
 
Remember folks when you are posting your opinion be sure to state that so that other posters can be clear that you are not stating an opinion as a fact. Thanks
 
Friends, strangers tried to save nightclub victim, D.A. says

By Adolfo Flores
January 30, 2014, 6:03 p.m.

Contrary to reports that bystanders did nothing as a 23-year-old woman was fatally beaten outside a Santa Ana nightclub, an Orange County prosecutor said that as many as 15 people tried to come to the victim's rescue.

(snip)
Criticism erupted after a video of the fight surfaced, showing some people standing nearby or recording the fight on their cellphones.
But Senior Deputy Dist. Atty. Troy Pino said that about 10 to 15 people tried to break up the fight, including bystanders, security guards and Pham’s friends.

(snip)
The fight, he said, was preceded by an argument that was started when someone from the defendant’s group bumped into someone from Pham's group.
“Who threw the first punch is in dispute and irrelevant,” Pino said.


More@link
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-nightclub-beating-friends-20140130,0,7328640.story#axzz2rz9BDXX3


IMVHO, OCSDA Pino's stance in clear, as a victim's advocate, and Kim's voice in this process. Kim is not here to speak for herself. I am thankful that he is wiling to go on record to put this information out there to let the public know. Perhaps this will create an environment that will encourage Kim's friends to step forward. The vitriol they have experienced thus far, in addition to their grief at witnessing the loss of their friend, must have been (and still likely is) terrible. :twocents:
 
Prosecutor: Nightclub-beating video misleading
BY DENISSE SALAZAR, GREG HARDESTY AND CLAUDIA KOERNER / STAFF WRITERS
Published: Jan. 30, 2014 Updated: Jan. 31, 2014 7:51 a.m.

NEWPORT BEACH – The perception that Annie Kim Pham died after a long beating watched by mostly passive witnesses was turned upside down Thursday by a prosecutor who described a spasm of violence and attempts by numerous onlookers to stop the altercation outside a Santa Ana nightclub.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Troy Pino said at least two security guards and as many as 15 other people tried to break up the Jan. 18 fight that prosecutors say involved Pham and at least two other women.

(snip)
The death of Pham, 23, sparked national interest, in part because one online video seems to show a group of people watching an attack without doing much to stop it. But that video doesn't show the whole story, according to Pino, who said Santa Ana detectives are talking to witnesses and reviewing multiple videos of the attack as they continue to piece together details.
“Plenty of people got involved … security guards, friends of the victim, bystanders,” Pino said....
(snip)
Misinformation, according to Pino, also has been prevalent in the discussion of a motive for the beating.

“I can tell you that there is no evidence that it's racially motivated. I can tell you there's no evidence about ‘photobombing.'”

(snip)
But Pino said it hasn't been established that Pham threw the first punch, adding that the issue of who started the fight isn't critical because Pham was on the ground when she was punched and kicked.
“She was then vulnerable. … Any assault at that point was unjustifiable.”

More@link

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/pham-599568-pino-fight.html
 
SlowMotionApocalypse said:
Though it's the attorney's job to cast doubt on the situation, it's important to note the initial impressions from the first reports were incorrect. Example - we got the impression she was being beaten while her friends did nothing. Turns out her friends were fighting too [modsnip]. So we can also keep in mind any impressions or speculations we continue to hold may also be incorrect.

But an 8 people vs 5 people bar brawl definitely has a lot more potential to spread the blame for what happened that night.

Like I said, if this weren't such a high profile case, there wouldn't be murder charges. It's not all that uncommon for people to bang their heads on the cement and die during fights with the offending party either not being charged or with a lesser offense such as manslaughter or assault. The next time I come across something scouring court records I will post it here.

On a side note, in response to anyone wondering why no one else jumped in to protect her (though we don't know if that's the case), I go to concerts or club events all the time. When a fight breaks out nearby, I don't try to do a who?what?why? assessment of the situation and jump in, I just get out of the way.
Click to expand...

Yeah, murder charges are filed when there is a murder. Like here. The lady was beaten to death. It doesn't matter if it was mutual combat, unless she had a gun or knife and beating her to death was the ONLY way to defend themselves. That it was three on one, Pham was unarmed, and the other ladies were apparently uninjured (I saw two of their photos with no visible injuries) shows this is not a self defense case.

The charge is totally appropriate and is not based on the case being "high profile". In California, when someone is killed in a fight there is usually a murder charge unless the person killed was armed.

SlowMotionApocalypse said:
The Crosby to close

http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2014/01/the_crosby_closing_kim_pham.php
Click to expand...

I'm not mourning.
 
"But.. but.. she started it!"

That defense/excuse doesn't even work in kindergarten.
 

via http://www.zazzle.com/year_of_the_horse_2014_vietnamese_tet_card-137600160910626212

Today, as dawn breaks over Little Saigon, the community is bustling in preparation for the Tet parade. Although this event is widely considered to be a "Vietnamese event", and some negatively affiliate its history to the Tet offensive during the Vietnam War, it means SO much more than that.

I can attest, from personal experience, that Tet, our culture's celebration of the Lunar New Year, symbolizes so much, it's hard for me to verbalize in a post. There are many superstitions that we participate in, and have since I was a child. Born in Saigon, I know these were passed down from many generations before me. These are the ties that bind us. My grandmother passed away before she could join us here in the U.S., so these traditions are some of the only things, besides pictures, that I have of her.

You can read more about here (no worries, your computer will convert those letters to the special characters / accent marks you see in Vietnamese language :) )

Tết - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


The Tet Festival does not belong solely to the Vietnamese community, although it does fill us with extreme national pride. However, I can assure you, many cultures attend the parade. If you live within walking distance, you will be there to witness it. My family is blended, similarly to Kim's family, as seen in news reports after her death. We endure the stares, and sometimes not-so-nice inquiries from strangers, and live our lives in Little Saigon whenever we are all together with my Mom. Our love for her strengthens us, and in all honestly, I'm used to it (well, almost).

via http://www.thesatellite.com.au/news/celebrate-the-new-year-vietnamese-style/1733623/

Earlier this year, NPR reported that the LGBT community would not be allowed to march again this year, their float denied a permit, for at least the second year in a row. This, however, has recently changed.

(snip)
The gay and lesbian coalition had city leaders' support, but those officials could not prevent the federation from barring gay and lesbian participants because of First Amendment free-speech rights.
But as protests from Viet ROC and their supporters mounted, federation members voted in early January to allow the group to march.
“For us, it was never just about the parade,” said Viet Roc co-founder Hieu Nguyen. “It was always about giving us a platform to be visible and be proud of our identity.”
via
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/parade-599646-federation-year.html


This represents the exact sort of progression and inclusion Kim Pham wrote about, and represented.
More that anything, I believe it is about the power of love over hate. I believe Kim epitomized this in her life, and will continue to do so in the wake of this tragedy.

So today, at 1pm, there will be a memorial celebration in Kim's memory:

via http://facebook.com/JusticeForKimPham

I am still deeply saddened by Kim's loss. Just three days before her first wedding anniversary, and weeks before the start of a new year in our culture. Instead, her family is in mourning. May they find some comfort in the level of support they've received thus far from the community (they are nearing 30K likes on the family-run facebook page). They've a long road ahead of them. Based on everything we've seen from Kim (a strong, intelligent young woman with a truly big heart, and a way with words) her family is strong to the core. We reflect upon each other, in the good times, and the bad. I will continue to strive to find a way to bring forth positivity from the loss of this amazing light. It is what she would have wanted. Of that I have no doubt.

So today, on this New Year, I wish the Pham's the absolute best I can..... under the circumstances.
:rose: #JusticeForKim :rose:
 
Fundraiser Held to Benefit Family of Kim Pham
2 hours ago
by Tracy Bloom
Web Producer


Dozens of people showed up Saturday at a fundraiser in Garden Grove benefiting the family of a 23-year-old woman who recently died after a brutal beating outside a Santa Ana nightclub.

Kim Pham Fundraiser
T-shirts were sold at a fundraiser held Saturday, Feb. 1, to benefit the family of Kim Pham.

(snip)
A number of Pham’s friends showed up to Saturday’s event, which was held at the 7 Seas restaurant. Money raised from the fundraiser would go to cover the family’s costs, including those from Pham’s funeral, according to the Orange County Register
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/family-599906-pham-friends.html.

T-shirts, hats and rubber bracelets–all donated from Ink Press, a company based in Garden Grove –were among the items sold at the event, the Register reported.

While the fundraiser was held primarily to raise money for Pham’s family, friends also used the occasion to remember the young woman.

“She always went out of her way to show people how much she cared,” said Vy, a close friend of Pham’s.

“Going through everything we’ve been through the past couple of weeks, we don’t want it to be where we’re still mourning her, we want it to be where we’re celebrating her life.” said Grace, another close friend. “Just having fun, enjoying talking about her, her adventures with us, and keeping her memory alive.”


[URL=http://s1220.photobucket.com/user/kimi_SFC/media/2f78c07f-2c44-4da3-8e2e-60eab8450894_zps41560029.jpg.html][/URL]

http://ktla.com/2014/02/01/fundraiser-held-to-benefit-family-of-kim-pham/#axzz2s8hdROoy
(Photo Credit: KTLA)
 
Family, friends of Santa Ana beating victim raise money in memory
Hats, T-shirts and customized tattoos were offered at a restaurant, with profits going to the family of Annie Kim Pham.
BY ALYSSA DURANTY - OCRegister
Published: Feb. 1, 2014 Updated: 6:59 p.m.
(snip)
Meanwhile, at Bad Influence Tattoo in Fountain Valley, Ronin, a nationally known tattoo artist, Westminster native and friend of Pham’s, was offering memorial tattoos for donations to also give to the family. He flew into town from Florida and created several tattoos with her name and lotus flowers and said he would be doing personal unique tattoos for her family and friends before hitting the road again to tattoo in Phoenix.
“At the end of the day, she helped me so I want to help her,” Ronin said. “There won’t be a day that I don’t think about her.”

(more@link)

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/family-599906-pham-friends.html
 
Pham family deals with the hole of an unrealized life
BY GREG HARDESTY AND DENISSE SALAZAR / ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Published: Feb. 1, 2014 Updated: Feb. 2, 2014 8:21 a.m.

She slipped into dark-wash jeans. She threw a favorite button-down, blue cardigan over a black tank top. She stepped into high, black boots.
Then, late on the night of Jan. 17, Annie Kim Pham went out with one close friend and some acquaintances. For a homebody, a young woman more comfortable cooking for friends or playing board games, it was an unexpected Friday night on the town.
It would be her last.

(snip)
What's less well known about Pham is this:
Her nickname was Xu, after a sweet Vietnamese fruit. Her father, Dung “James” Pham, 60, can't remember exactly why she got the name, only that he had called her that since she was tiny. More often, she went by Kim.
Her favorite color was green, the color of the purse she grabbed before going out that night.

(snip)
And as she grew, she wrote movingly about that loss (of her mother).
I am in no hurry, and in the presence of the utmost important person to me, the greatest loss and love I have ever known.
I kneel before the graceful, yet powerful aura of my mother.


(snip)
Pham wrote about this period, too, in an essay “Pho for Life: A Melting Pot of Thoughts.”
My new stepsiblings were an overwhelming presence to me. In particular, I clashed with my oldest stepsister, Katie, who was two years older than me.
She didn't understand me and I didn't understand her – and we bickered about even little things, frustratingly, until just about forever.
• • •
Katie Nguyen helped dress Pham for her casket viewing, picking a white chiffon blouse, a black blazer and matching slacks, and a gold-cross necklace. She looked her best, peaceful.
After the viewing and before the cremation, Katie removed the necklace. She now wears it around her neck.
Pham, raised Catholic, regularly attended church. Katie Nguyen, who says she and Pham reconciled a few years ago, says her stepsister's death has inspired her to become Catholic too.

(snip)
Her husband, Giang Ngo Khanh, 24, a business major at UCLA, commuted home on weekends.
(snip)
James knew things were grim, but he still had hope, even after a doctor showed him a picture that showed how one side of her skull was cracked. The doctor explained that the injury was inoperable.

He didn't have the strength to be in the room when doctors took Theresa Kim Annie Pham off life support. Before they did, he said his final goodbye.
He feels what any parent would feel. He explains that he works as a security guard.
“But I couldn't protect her.”
• • •
On Jan. 30, Pham's family placed her ashes in a wall at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Cypress.
Pham knew the spot well. Her mother's ashes are there, too, and she's visited often over the years; in moments of stress or pain, and when she simply wanted to be close to a mother she barely had a chance to know.
In her writings, Pham described the spot as her sanctuary.
I kneel. I breathe. I close my eyes. I get lost.
I see my name glimmering in her own. I see her strength in me, and the obstacles are no longer a threat.
Nguyen says she takes some solace that Pham, in death, rests with her mother.
“They are together at last.”


Much more (five page in-depth article) @ link:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/pham-599941-nguyen-family.html?page=1




(This amazing, in-depth article, is being made available for free to non-subscribers of the OC Register. Although is is 5-pages in length, I'm not sure how long they will leave it for everyone to view before moving to their subscription only service. I have downloaded a copy of the full article, for posterity, and will re-post it to the thread if it ever becomes unavailable, with Moderator approval).

I encourage you all to take the time to read it. Kim wasn't perfect. None of us are; but she was always striving to be better, and she loved with every fiber of her being. That is what I always come away with, after reading about her. Even in death, she is bringing people closer, uniting them, creating friendships, and healing. I believe this will continue on, across ethnicities, in Orange County and beyond. Kim Pham's work is not done here. :rose:
 
Art Review
Local Artist Plans to Create Homage to Kim Pham at Utility Box Where Her Memorial Stands
By Aimee Murillo Mon., Feb. 3 2014 at 8:30 AM

(snip)
In tribute to Pham, supporters have adorned the utility box outside The Crosby where Pham was brutally beaten with candles, flowers, and Pham's photographs, but in due time, that utility box will undergo another major visual change.

(snip)
Visual artist Federico Medina was assigned the utility box that has become Pham's memorial, and plans to adapt his artistic vision to honor her.


[URL=http://s1220.photobucket.com/user/kimi_SFC/media/7264fc31-9616-48ab-a640-97e4c12e183c_zpscc9c3812.jpg.html][/URL]
[Image: OCWeekly.com]


(snip)
"I plan to collage all the faces of random people as my original concept and to show the face of Kim Pham in a section without any collage," he continues. "So people might remember what happened or wonder why her face is different from the rest. Even though she is not a resident she is now a part of Santa Ana's history. It's a part of history that I wish had never happened, but it did and people should see her face clear to remember what happened." (says Medina.)



More@Link

http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2014/02/kim_pham_memorial_santa_ana.php
 

Kim Pham beating: Preliminary hearing delayed
Ed Joyce | February 4th, 2014, 10:11am


The preliminary hearing was rescheduled Tuesday for two women charged with murder in connection with the beating of Kim Pham. The hearing is now scheduled for Monday, Feb. 10 in Orange County Superior Court in Westminster.

(snip)
The hearing date was changed because Zavala's attorney, Kenneth Reed, had a schedule conflict. Molfetta represented both defendants before Judge Thomas J. Borris.

Molfetta objected to the case being reassigned from Newport Beach to Westminster. Judge Borris noted the objection but did not issue a ruling.

more@link
http://www.scpr.org/news/2014/02/04/41983/kim-pham-beating-preliminary-hearing-delayed/
 
Nightclub beating suspects appear in court but hearing is delayed
By Adolfo Flores

February 4, 2014, 11:25 a.m.

Two women charged with killing a woman outside a Santa Ana nightclub were in court Tuesday, but the hearing to determine whether there’s enough evidence to prosecute them was postponed to Monday.

In court, Molfetta objected to the preliminary hearing being held in Westminster; the case was previously expected to be tried in Newport Beach.

(snip)
Friends and family of the suspects were in court, as were Pham's friends and family members, including her father.

The Crosby, a trendy downtown Santa Ana nightspot, has not reopened since the incident.
(snip)
Ryan Chase, president of Downtown Inc., who has spoken on behalf of the business in the past, said he wasn’t able to confirm the nightclub's closure.


(more@link)

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-nightclub-beating-video-20140204,0,1845439.story#axzz2sNurs28M
 
They've told staff they are closed.

http://laist.com/2014/01/30/the_crosby_nightclub_closes_after_w.php

The club shutting down like that after Kim's death may explain the difficulties police had at first. It should have stayed open because witnesses would likely have come back and police might have found them easier. They could have put up an appeal on their website or FB too. That's what a nightclub has done in the case of missing Megan Roberts in England and police have been able to find and speak to many witnesses.

I wonder if charges will be forthcoming against the third person police wanted to speak to and who has now been found?

Kim's family have dealt with this with such grace and dignity. They speak for their silenced one now and they are a credit to her. Bless them and her. This is so sad.
 
zwiebel said:
They've told staff they are closed.

http://laist.com/2014/01/30/the_crosby_nightclub_closes_after_w.php

The club shutting down like that after Kim's death may explain the difficulties police had at first. It should have stayed open because witnesses would likely have come back and police might have found them easier. They could have put up an appeal on their website or FB too. That's what a nightclub has done in the case of missing Megan Roberts in England and police have been able to find and speak to many witnesses.

I wonder if charges will be forthcoming against the third person police wanted to speak to and who has now been found?

Kim's family have dealt with this with such grace and dignity. They speak for their silenced one now and they are a credit to her. Bless them and her. This is so sad.
Click to expand...

I'm not doubting you one bit about The Crosby, zwiebel. I just posted it because it was different from what we've heard so far. In all honesty, I don't know how The Crosby can continue on with the status quo, as they will always be associated with Kim Pham and her demise, :moo:. I realize this didn't happen inside their place of business, but things would have turned out much differently had they taken a few different steps (high resolution surveillance camera inside and out, more security, etc.). The person quoted just couldn't confirm the closure. Perhaps they just didn't have the authority to do so.

As for Kim's family, they have continued to act with amazing strength, as well as the grace and dignity you mentioned. In our culture, their mourning affects what they are and are not allowed to do during the Tet celebration, which continues on now. My empathy and compassion for them is unrivaled, as I feel as though Kim could be one of my family members. I say often that her cousins look like mine, and she looks like she could be one of my very own.

They have relocated the court case from Newport Beach to Westminster, where yesterday's short hearing was held. I can only hope this will help any witnesses to find the strength to come forward, and be Kim's voice. Justice for Kim demands it :twocents:
 
Santa Ana nightclub beating defendants appear in court

BY VIK JOLLY / STAFF WRITER
Published: Feb. 4, 2014 Updated: Feb. 5, 2014 12:25 p.m.

(snip)
OBJECTION TO CHANGE OF COURT
Molfetta objected to moving the case from Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach to Westminster. The case originally was scheduled for Central Justice Center in Santa Ana, but then was sent to Newport Beach and, late Monday, it was assigned to West Court.

(snip)
The West Court area serves a part of the county with a large Vietnamese American population; its Little Saigon community is the center of the largest population of Vietnamese people outside of Vietnam. Molfetta said he was concerned about potential jurors for the case.
“Obviously, the demographic of West Court, given the racial undertones of this case, is something we need to think about,” Molfetta said.
The criminal defense lawyer added that he believes a fair jury can be selected in West Court.
“I am not saying that there’s necessarily no way to get a fair trial in this jurisdiction. I am preserving the issue” for future objections if needed, Molfetta said.
“As long as the jury pool is comprised of people from a countywide pool, then the issue becomes less of a concern,” he said. “It has nothing to do with the judges or courthouses and more to do with wanting to make sure that everybody gets a fair trial.”

(snip)
But prosecutors said that video doesn't show the whole story, and Santa Ana detectives are talking to witnesses and reviewing multiple videos of the fight as they continue to piece together details.

(snip)
It remains unclear why the case has been bounced around to different courts.
Pino said Tuesday it was a decision by the courts and that no official reason has been given.
“My only concern is that we keep it in Orange County,” Pino said. “As long as we keep it in Orange County, I am satisfied.”

Much More @ Link
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/case-600231-pham-zavala.html

Once again, the OC Register has published this "complimentary article" - and it will likely be moved over to their "subscription only" service at a later date. Therefore, I snipped the information regarding the issues pertinent to (possible) change of venue. I have also saved a copy of the entire article, and will be able to repost in here for future reference. Please take a moment to read it while it's available to read for free.
 
I know the job of defence is to defend, but it's making me a little queasy in this case. I mean, Kim was on the floor. That's one of the most vulnerable positions a human being can be in.

I wonder if that is the only footage police have, or if they are going to be able to slow it down? It doesn't look that helpful to me - though maybe that dark figure on the far side of Kim strikes out with their foot at one stage?

http://www./1121991/kim-pham-trial-nighclub-death-blamed-on-victim/
 
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