Crime & Safety
Suspect Arrested In Decade-Old Murder-For-Hire Case Following International Manhunt
10 years after a man was fatally shot in an alleged botched murder-for-hire, police announced they arrested a suspect who fled to Laos.
SAN JOSE, CA — Ten years after a man was fatally shot in San Jose in an alleged botched murder-for-hire, police announced Friday that they have arrested a primary suspect after he apparently fled to Laos.
Myung Kim, 31, is accused of orchestrating a homicide that occurred June 27, 2016.
That day at 9:20 p.m., San Jose police responded to a report of a person shot in the 1700 block of Cape Aston Court. The adult man was pronounced dead at the scene.
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A preliminary investigation revealed that the victim was traveling in a car when the suspects, who were lying in wait, allegedly ambushed the victim after the car came to a stop. At least one suspect exited a vehicle and shot the victim. The suspects fled before officers arrived, according to the San Jose Police Department.
Kim was identified as one of the primary suspects. Authorities in Orange County, where Kim is suspected in another homicide, believe that Kim hired a hitman for the San Jose killing but the hitman allegedly killed the wrong person.
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An arrest warrant was issued for Kim, but investigators were unable to locate him.
Kim is also suspected of fatally shooting his friend, Christopher Kim, in 2018 after arguing over money in a pharmacy parking lot in Westminster. Kim allegedly shot Christopher six times in front of the victim's girlfriend before running away, according to Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.
At the time of the 2018 killing, Kim was out on bond after being charged by Orange County prosecutors with dealing drugs and being a convicted felon with a firearm.
Another warrant was issued for Christopher's killing.
Despite several attempts to locate him, Kim was never found.
Investigators suspected that Kim fled the country.
He was prominently featured on the San Jose Police Department's "Most Wanted" social media channels.
After extensive exposure on social media, Kim is believed to have entered a United States Embassy in the country of Laos to inquire about travel documentation. Without a current extradition treaty in place with the country of Laos, Kim walked freely out of the embassy.
The department was notified of Kim's location. After significant cooperation with numerous federal agencies and Laotian authorities, Kim was arrested in Laos on suspicion of immigration-related violations.
Kim was removed from Laos and transported back to the U.S. on Tuesday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. San Jose police took Kim into custody Wednesday and booked him into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on suspicion of murder.
"No matter how much time passes or how far someone runs, accountability can still find them," said San Jose Police Chief Paul Joseph in a statement. "Our homicide detectives never gave up on this case."
Kim is expected to be prosecuted first in Santa Clara County followed by Orange County, Spitzer said.
Anyone with information about the San Jose case is asked to contact detectives on the case by emailing 3829@sanjoseca.gov and 4339@sanjoseca.gov or by calling 408-277-5283.
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