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O’FALLON, Ill. (BFMG) — A 38-year-old O’Fallon man has been charged with murder and concealment of a homicidal death after allegedly killing his mother and then trying to destroy evidence by filling her home with gas and setting an open flame, authorities said.
According to the O’Fallon Police Department, officers responded around 1:30 p.m. Dec. 27 to a home for a well-being check on 72-year-old Terrie Nguyen after family members were unable to contact her. When officers arrived, they found her dead inside the residence. Police said her death appeared suspicious and was determined to be the result of violence.
Charging documents obtained by the Belleville News-Democrat indicate that Terrie was struck in the face and that plastic wrap had been placed over her nose and mouth. Investigators quickly identified her son, David Nguyen, as a suspect.
Later that afternoon, around 4:30 p.m., the Missouri State Highway Patrol spotted David Nguyen, but he fled when troopers attempted to pull him over. Nguyen reportedly crashed his vehicle during a pursuit on the interstate and was taken into custody.
Court documents revealed Nguyen allegedly tried to cover up the crime by turning on the home’s stove burners to fill the house with gas and leaving a lit candle inside — intending to cause an explosion.
Police said the investigation remains active, and Terrie Nguyen’s official cause of death has not yet been determined.
