Arrest made in 1998 murder of 28-year-old Nguyet ‘Anna’ Nguyen

Deputies with the King County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday that an arrest has been made in the murder of a woman in 1998.

Police arrest cold case suspect 31 years after couple went missing

On Nov. 9, 1998, deputies say 28-year-old Nguyet “Anna” Nguyen, who had an 11-year-old daughter, left home and told her mother she was going to visit her fiancé.

Nguyen was never seen or heard from again.

Detectives said they suspected foul play early on in the investigation.

Despite never finding Nguyen’s body, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office issued a death certificate for her in 2015.

Deputies said their investigation in Nguyen’s disappearance began Nov. 10, 1998, when her family reported her missing.

“Detectives learned that the day she was reported missing, Nguyen had plans to fly to Reno, NV with her fiancé to get married,” deputies said in a press release.

On Nov. 11, 1998, deputies said Nguyen’s vehicle was located in the parking lot of a Tukwila casino and an ex-boyfriend of Nguyen’s was questioned about her disappearance.

“Although he denied having any involvement in her disappearance, detectives noted that he provided ever-changing stories regarding his whereabouts during the time in which Ms. Nguyen went missing,” deputies said.

Major Crimes detectives reexamined the case and its evidence in 2019 and gathered facts that weren’t previously known to detectives.

Deputies said the new facts led them to suspect the ex-boyfriend was involved in Nguyen’s disappearance and suspected murder.

26-year-old Bremerton cold case murder culminates in arrest

On Friday, deputies said they arrested Nguyen’s ex-boyfriend and booking him into the King County Jail for investigation of murder.

“This is the fourth cold case our Major Crimes detectives have solved this year,” said Sheriff Mitzi G. Johanknecht. “My Major Crimes detectives do outstanding work with limited staffing and still no funding for a dedicated Cold Case Unit. Instead, they work these unsolved murders in addition to their heavy caseloads in the pursuit of justice and closure for the families who have lost their loved ones.”