Family of slain Fresno woman testify she wanted out of marriage to abusive, jealous husband
Relatives of Xia Vang, whose husband Chinnawat Vue is accused of stabbing her to death in a jealous rage over an affair, testified Tuesday they feared something tragic would happen to the 22-year-old mother of three.
They said Vang wanted out of her 6-year marriage to Vue, 31, who had become increasingly abusive. Vang also started seeing someone else, an issue they say further angered Vue.
But he refused to let her go and threatened to end her life so no one could be with her, if he couldn’t, according to testimony.
Prosecutor Elana Smith said the defendant made good on his promise March 8, 2016, when he stabbed Vang 101 times in their northeast Fresno home near East Norwich and North Whitney avenues.
Their 3-year-old son was in the room when the bloody killing happened. Vue’s charged with murder and faces up to 26-years-to-life in state prison, if convicted.
There’s no disputing on either side of the courtroom whether Vue killed his wife, who he married in 2009 when she was still a minor. Defense attorney Phillip Billington is trying to convince jurors to find Vue guilty on a lesser charge, like second-degree murder.
Vang’s sister Daisy Vang testified Tuesday to being a witness to Vue’s violent behavior.
Xia Vang had moved into her sister’s home for several days in March to try and keep away from Vue. But the enraged husband found wife Xia Vang and demanded she leave with him. When she refused, Daisy Vang said the defendant dragged her sister out of the house.
“He forced her outside by dragging and pushing her,” Daisy Vang testified. “He pushed her into the car. And he told her that if she didn’t go with him, he was going to kill her. Then they drove off.”
Mother found Xia’s body
Xia Vang’s mother Ge Her testified Vue had taken her daughter to the mountains that day, but she walked off and he couldn’t find her. She testified the family began searching for her, but she eventually made it home.
When asked by Smith why the family didn’t call the police, Her said some family members didn’t want law enforcement involved, preferring to use the community’s Hmong elders to try and find a resolution.
“I was worried,” Her testified.
The day of the killing, Her got a call from the defendant’s brother, who said she needed to go over to her daughter’s home and it was urgent. He also advised the mother to call police.
When Her arrived, she knocked on the door and her daughter-in-law Lee Yang answered it. Yang, her husband, and their child were staying with Vue and Xia Vang temporarily.
The mother went directly to her daughter’s room, knocked on the door but no one answered. The door was locked but Yang gave her a key.
The mother opened the door, walked into the room and saw her 3-year-old grandson curled up on the bed, asleep. On the other side of the bed, on the floor, she saw a blanket. She saw something partially covered in the blanket, according to her testimony
“I keep calling Xia, but no one answers,” she said, crying on the stand. “Then I see her face. I felt numb. I couldn’t look at it. I had to cover her up.”
Testimony in the trial continued Wednesday. Vue remains at the Fresno County Jail.
This story was originally published December 14, 2022 at 5:30 AM.
