A man arrested in the death of a Dane Williams, a 23-year-old intern from Huntington Beach whose body was found in a San Diego alley last year, could get the death penalty if convicted, prosecutors said today.
Philong Huynh, 39, of San Diego was arrested Thursday and pleaded not guilty today on one charge of murder and two charges of sexual assault. Charges of murder and sexual assault while the victim was intoxicated could lead to 25 years to life in prison, and a special circumstances allegation of murder during commission of a sex crime makes Huynh eligible for the death penalty if convicted, San Diego prosecutors said.
No bail was set for Huynh and a preliminary hearing was set for Sept. 29. Police released a photo of Huynh in the hopes that other possible victims might come forward.
Detectives working a sex crime from June 6, 2009, identified Huynh as a suspect in that case, and gathered DNA evidence from him, San Diego police said. That DNA material matched evidence found on Williams’ body, police said. Huynh lives around 800 feet from where Williams’ body was found, police said.
It is still unknown how Dane Williams died, police said.
The family has declined to comment on the arrest, sister Hayley Williams said today, adding that her parents were in San Diego for the arraignment.
Hayley Williams posted on her Facebook about 11:30 a.m., “An arrest has been made!!”
Dane Williams’ family had been on a campaign since his death to encourage witnesses to come forward with information.
Family and friends held a remembrance vigil in January at an Action Sports Retailer trade expo – the same event Dane Williams had attended before he disappeared. White wristbands with the words, “Keeping Dane’s Spirit Alive” were handed out and people wearing the wristband were given free cab rides back to their hotels after the expo’s parties, according to apparelnews.net.
The June 6, 2009, sexual assault wasn’t solved immediately, but when DNA evidence recovered from the victim was uploaded to a database, a hit came back on Aug. 19 that matched a sample recovered from the Williams crime scene, said Lt. Kevin Rooney of the homicide unit.
They didn’t have a name connected to either sample, so solving the sexual assault became a high priority. The case was transferred to homicide detectives, Rooney said.
“Between Aug. 19 and Sept. 10, we did everything we could to solve that sex crime,” Rooney said.
Detectives arrested Huynh on Thursday, Sept. 10, and served search warrants on two homes.
Rooney said that a sample of Huynh’s DNA has been tested, and that it matches the DNA in the two crimes.
The victim in the June 6, 2009, sexual assault said he met Huynh in San Diego’s Gaslamp district and the two ended up drinking and going to the beach, City News Service reported. After telling Huynh he had a headache, the man was given two pills he was told were Tylenol, then woke up without his underwear in the defendant’s bed the next morning, the prosecutor said, according to City News Service.
Williams was last seen around 3 a.m. Jan. 26, 2008, outside a bar at the Hard Rock Hotel in the Gaslamp district.
He was found Jan. 29, 2008, at 6 a.m. in a damp, dirt alley, wrapped in a blood-stained plaid blanket with small cuts on his body. He was lying on his back with his feet crossed wearing the same clothing as the day he disappeared – a black pullover Hurley branded shirt with stripes, Hurley denim jeans, a brown belt and white All Star gym shoes.
His clothing was damp and no personal items were found on or near the body, a coroner’s report said. His underwear was missing, City News Service reported, citing the prosecutor.
Dane Williams’ blood alcohol level was 0.17 percent – more than twice the legal limit for driving. There were also slight amounts of Valium and quinine in his body, authorities said.
Family members have said Williams did have an occasional drink but did not take drugs.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/body-williams-hurley-2567174-huynh-dna
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