Local

Suspect arrested in cold case murder of Everett man

EVERETT, Wash. — Nearly 17 years after an Everett man was stabbed to death, a suspect was taken into custody Thursday.

In the early hours of Oct. 23, 2004, Everett police officers were called to a home in the

7700 block of Hardeson Road, where they found 48-year-old Hoang V. Nguyen with a chest wound. He later died at the hospital. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a homicide.

Officers were told a group of friends went to the home to have dinner and help the homeowner with a project. As the night went on, the group became intoxicated.

Around 1 a.m., the suspect and Nguyen argued in the kitchen. The homeowner asked them to leave, but the two men got into a scuffle and Nguyen collapsed when they were separated. The suspect denied stabbing Nguyen.

While reviewing cold cases, a major crimes detective interviewed the homeowners. During the interviews, the detective confirmed specific facts and developed new information that gave him probable cause for the suspect’s arrest.

Members of the Snohomish County Violent Offender Task Force arrested a 48-year-old man in Seattle Thursday afternoon.

He was booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of murder.