A Decade-Long Search for Justice: The Story of Justin Tran

The Night Everything Changed

Imagine you’re 26 years old, driving to the gym on a normal summer evening. You turn onto your quiet street — a cul-de-sac where everyone knows each other. Suddenly, a black Lexus pulls up beside you. A man gets out, fires several shots at your car, and jumps back into the speeding sedan as it races away.

That was June 27, 2016, at 9:20 p.m. — the night Justin Tran lost his life in San Jose, California.

Police found Justin slumped over his steering wheel. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His sister, Jade Phan, later shared what happened:

"We lived on a cul-de-sac and he had just turned onto the street… they followed him. They flagged him down. He probably thought they needed help, and that’s when it happened."

A Case Gone Cold… Until It Wasn’t

For over two years, there were no arrests. No answers. Just silence.

Then, 350 miles away in Westminster, California, another shooting occurred. A man was shot six times in a CVS parking lot in front of his girlfriend. It was 2018.

Investigators eventually discovered both murders were connected to one man: Myung Jin Kim, a South Korean national.

Important Point: This wasn’t a random act of violence. Police say Kim orchestrated the San Jose shooting — but the hitman killed the wrong person. The real target was Justin’s stepfather.

The Mastermind Vanishes

By the time police connected the dots, Kim had disappeared.

• Authorities secured arrest warrants for both murders
• But Kim remained a fugitive for years

Then came a breakthrough: In December, investigators learned Kim was in Laos after he visited the U.S. Embassy there to request travel documents.

Working together:

• U.S. federal officials
• Authorities in Laos
• Investigators from Orange County and Santa Clara County

…they secured his arrest. His extradition in June marked the FIRST TIME a fugitive was returned to the U.S. from Laos.

Who Was Justin Tran?

Justin wasn’t just a name in a police report. He was:

• The oldest of four siblings — the only brother to three sisters
• The guy who blasted EDM music while driving his 15-year-old sister home from school, making the car shake
• A Jiffy Lube employee who loved cars and was figuring out his next steps
• Full of life — playing basketball in front of the house with friends late into the night

"He was so full of life," Jade said. "Everything is happening to me now… his life was just starting. He was just figuring it all out."

The Hidden World Behind the Murder

A Case of Mistaken Identity

Justin lived with his mother, sisters, and stepfather in San Jose. Surveillance footage showed the black Lexus circling the neighborhood 16 times before the attack.

The morning after, Justin’s stepfather told police he believed the shooting was gang-related. He mentioned a Vietnamese cafe he’d owned that had illegal gambling machines — machines he said belonged to a Vietnamese man he believed was a gang member.

Important Point: The stepfather feared "there would have been a problem" if he’d refused the machines. He refused to give more details, saying he wanted to protect his family.

The Gambling Machine Connection

• The FBI had raided one of these cafes over a year before Justin’s death
• Authorities link these machines to Vietnamese street gangs
• In the 18 months before Justin’s murder, two other Vietnamese-American men were killed execution-style in similar cafes

Police acknowledged "similarities with the cases mentioned" but shared few details.

How the Puzzle Pieces Fit Together

The Informant’s Story (3 Years Later)

Three years after the murder, a confidential informant told police:

1. A hitman was offered $20,000 to kill an "Asian man in his 50s" who owned a restaurant in San Jose
2. The hitman was given addresses for the home and restaurant
3. He drove to the Bay Area with at least one accomplice
4. They killed Justin by mistake — he was the son, not the stepfather
5. The hitman was then offered $50,000 to return and kill the stepfather — but never did

The Digital Trail

• Days after the murder, suspects identified by the informant were arrested in unrelated incidents in Southern California
• In May 2019, San Jose police recovered their phones
• Photos showed them at a San Jose hotel two days before the murder
• One phone was registered to Myung Kim — and contained a note with the target’s home and restaurant addresses
• Phone records placed Kim and the suspects together in Los Angeles days after the murder — where the informant said the hitman received a cash payment

Justice Begins to Move

Earlier Convictions (2020)

In 2020, police charged:

• Two men from the LA area
• One woman

All three participated in Justin’s murder. They received "significant prison sentences" for murder charges.

The Fugitive’s Capture

• November 2018: Warrant issued for Kim in the Westminster murder
• 2020: Second warrant with conspiracy charges for the San Jose case
• No extradition treaty exists between the U.S. and Laos
• Solution: Laos detained Kim for immigration violations
• June 2024: Kim extradited to the U.S. — historic first

"Justice knows no borders and we will go to the ends of the earth in the pursuit of justice… The long arm of Orange County law is coming for you and there is no country on Earth that can protect you."

— Todd Spitzer, Orange County District Attorney

A Family’s Quiet Resilience

For a decade, Justin’s family grieved in silence.

• They rarely spoke about what happened
• Jade and her mother made a "silent agreement" to remember Justin as he was before
• They eventually packed up his room — his mother couldn’t bear to keep entering it
• Jade kept one silly memento: Justin’s black Hennessy t-shirt

When Jade learned of Kim’s arrest via a text from her mom with a news article, they processed it with the same quiet resolve that had carried them through ten years.

"My mom and I don’t talk about it because, ultimately, it’s not going to change anything… I know she feels peace about it."

What Happens Next?

1. Kim is currently held in Santa Clara County Main Jail
2. Charges: Murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder
3. Status: No plea entered yet; court appearance scheduled in San Jose
4. After Santa Clara case: Kim will be transferred to Orange County for the Westminster murder charges
5. His attorney, Aimee Buentello, is reviewing prosecution evidence

Summary

• Justin Tran, 26, was murdered in 2016 in a case of mistaken identity — the target was his stepfather
• Myung Jin Kim allegedly orchestrated the hit and a second murder in 2018
• Kim fled to Laos and evaded capture for years
• Historic extradition from Laos (first ever) brought him back to face justice
• Three other participants were already convicted in 2020
• The case reveals links to Vietnamese street gangs and illegal gambling machines in cafes
• Justin’s family endured 10 years of silent grief — now seeing a measure of justice

FAQ

Why did it take so long to catch Myung Kim?

Kim fled the country and went to Laos, which has no extradition treaty with the U.S. Authorities had to wait until he visited the U.S. Embassy in Laos, which allowed them to track and detain him on immigration violations.

Was Justin involved in any criminal activity?

No. Police and his family confirm Justin did not know the suspects and was not involved in gangs or illegal activity. He was an innocent bystander killed because he resembled his stepfather.

What was the motive for targeting the stepfather?

The stepfather owned a Vietnamese cafe with illegal gambling machines linked to street gangs. He believed the attack was retaliation related to that operation, but feared for his family’s safety and refused to elaborate.

Have all the killers been caught?

Three participants (two men, one woman) were convicted in 2020. Myung Kim, the alleged mastermind, was arrested in 2024. It’s unclear if the actual shooter has been individually identified beyond the informant’s account.

Why is the Laos extradition historic?

This was the first time Laos has ever extradited a fugitive to the United States. Without a formal treaty, it required extensive diplomatic cooperation between U.S. federal agencies and Laotian authorities.