COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A convict has been indicted on the cold-case murders of a local mother and her 13-month-old daughter.
NBC 4 reported with the FAST FACTS.
The Franklin County Grand Jury indicted Lee T. Darrington for the double-fatal stabbings of 26-year-old Ly Dieu Tran and her daughter, Mylia, Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien said Tuesday.
Police received an anonymous tip last January that identified Darrington as a suspect in the double-murder.
“Someone just starts thinking about the knowledge, information they have, and sometime there's a falling out between people who were friends, but the anonymous phone call came and was able to be verified,” Detective Pat Dornan said.
Darrington was indicted on seven counts of aggravated murder with death-penalty specifications, one count of aggravated burglary and one count of aggravated robbery.
Those nine counts were in connection with the August 1998 fatal stabbings of Tran and her daughter in their townhouse apartment at 1555 Appleton Ct., on the city’s East Side.
Tran and her husband, Mihn Tong, started and operated Magic Nails, a manicure shop, at 3984 E. Broad St.
When Tran didn’t show up for work Saturday, Aug. 22, an employee went to her apartment to check on her.
The employee found Tran and her daughter’s bodies.
Tong was out of town the weekend of the murders.
“… it's hard to believe or understand the necessity for killing the baby after homicide of Mom,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien said the Vietnamese immigrant family worked hard and that was why they were targeted.
He also said Darrington lived in the family’s East Side neighborhood and knew them.
Tong has since moved to Mississippi.
Darrington currently is incarcerated in the Toledo Correctional Institute for the next 16 years for a variety of offenses that include RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations), drug trafficking, forgery and intimidating a victim/witness.
O’Brien said Darrington was to be brought to Columbus next Wednesday for his arraignment.
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