What did Phuc Vo do? California man charged in alleged murders of missing wife and mother-in-law

Phuc Vo, a 40-year-old San Pablo man, is now facing two counts of murder in the mysterious disappearance of his wife, 40-year-old Tho Ly, and mother-in-law, 74-year-old Que Tran, both of whom he reported missing six months ago.

Vo was taken into custody last week and charged with two counts of murder, with special circumstances enhancements, in the suspected slayings, as announced by authorities.

Initially, on September 13, 2023, Phuc Vo reported his wife and mother-in-law missing from their home on the 1900 block of Sutter Avenue, stating they were last seen driving their 2017 Honda Fit to Southern California after a family argument that occurred on September 6.

Despite the reported travel destination, the whereabouts of Tho Ly and Que Tran could not be verified, raising suspicions, as reported by The People. The arrest follows a series of events where Vo reported the disappearances, leading to a police investigation that ultimately led to the murder charges.

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San Pablo man Phuc Vo faces murder charges after an Initial missing persons report

According to a news release from the San Pablo Police Department, officers responded to a call at Vo's home in the 1900 block of Sutter Avenue on September 13, 2023. Upon arrival, Vo filed formal missing persons reports for his wife and grandmother, stating he had not seen them since September 6.

San Pablo Police spokesperson Peggy Chou shared details, saying, "Mr. Vo called us to report that his wife and her mother had left the residence after a family argument, and he hadn't seen them since Sept. 6 the prior week."

NBC reports that the initial narrative provided by Vo suggested that the mother-daughter duo had left home in a 2017 Honda Fit, traveling to Southern California after a family argument.

However, during the preliminary investigation, police detectives were unable to corroborate this information, treating the case as a missing persons scenario with unknown whereabouts of Tho Ly and Que Tran.

Chou added, "Police treated it as a missing persons case and followed up on them voluntarily traveling to Southern California. But evidence wasn't adding up until December when investigators pointedly asked Vo if he had seen his wife's Honda Fit since they disappeared. He said no."

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Phuc Vo arrested for alleged involvement in wife and mother-in-law's disappearance and murder

As per reports by Law & Crime, in follow-up interviews, detectives discovered inconsistencies in Phuc Vo's statements to police, particularly regarding his wife's car. Although Vo claimed not to have seen the vehicle since his wife left on September 6, detectives observed him driving the car two months later.

The missing vehicle was located on December 5, 2023, in Oakland, leading to Vo being identified as a person of interest in the case.

Police stated that detectives had observed Vo driving his wife's missing vehicle, which had been found on December 5, 2023, in the city of Oakland. After this was discovered, Phuc Vo became a person of interest concerning the missing persons case.

Over the subsequent weeks, detectives pursued various investigative leads in search of potential witnesses and evidence. Based on the evidence gathered during the investigation, it was concluded that Vo had direct involvement in the disappearance and murders of Tho Ly and Que Tran.

On February 29, with the assistance of multiple law enforcement agencies, police executed a search warrant on the Sutter Avenue home, leading to Phuc Vo's arrest. While the exact evidence leading to the conclusion that Ly and Tran are deceased remains undisclosed, authorities have not speculated about a possible motive, as reported by ABC7 News.

A department spokesperson mentioned that Vo and Ly had two children in elementary school and are now living with other family members. Financial troubles and the ongoing processing of evidence and leads characterize the investigation. Phuc Vo is currently held without bond at the Martinez Detention Facility and is scheduled for arraignment on March 19.

The police stress the ongoing nature of the investigation and urge anyone with relevant information to contact the department's Investigations Division at 510-215-3150.