This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A judge on Monday sentenced a West Valley City woman to prison for up to life for the fatal stabbing her boyfriend during a 2013 Labor Day barbecue.
Thu Houng Thi Nguyen, 42, was convicted in March of one count each of first-degree felony murder and second-degree felony obstruction of justice by a 3rd District Court jury in March after six hours of deliberation.
An autopsy found Thai Van Le, 44, died from injuries suffered from a stab wound to his back.
On Monday, Judge Randall Skanchy ordered Nguyen serve a 15-years-to-life term for the murder conviction, to run concurrently with a 1-to-15-year term for the obstruction of justice conviction.
Witnesses who testified during a 2014 preliminary hearing said the couple were arguing on Sept. 2, 2013, when Nguyen went to the kitchen, retrieved a knife and stabbed Le in the back as he held their infant child. According to testimony, Le had challenged Nguyen to stab him during the fight.
After the stabbing, Nguyen returned to the kitchen, where investigators believe she washed the knife and put it away in a drawer.
Testifying through an interpreter during her three-day trial, Nguyen recounted a different account of the events, saying " ... somebody pushed me. Pushed me and grabbed my arm," as she stood in the living room with the knife.
Nguyen also told the jury that she loved Le and believed he returned her feelings.
Le was rushed to Pioneer Valley Hospital by party guests, after Nguyen said it was taking too long for an ambulance to arrive and that she didn't want to Le to die, a witness said during the trial.
In addition to the murder and obstruction of justice charges, Nguyen also had been charged with third-degree felony domestic violence, but Salt Lake County prosecutors dropped that count on the first day of the trial.