LAKE ELMO, Minn. - A man who was shot and killed in Lake Elmo was trying to sell his car on Craigslist, according to murder charges filed Monday in Washington County.
Dao Xiong, 19, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder in shooting death of Youa T. Lor on Sept. 9. Deputies found Lor, 33, in a ditch on the 8800 block of 55th Street N. near the Green Acres Recreation Area around 2:30 p.m.
Both men are members of the Minnesota National Guard. Xiong joined in October 2008. Keng Thao joined in December 2008.
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“Neither soldier was in a military duty status at the time of the alleged incident.” Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Olson said. “The matter is being investigated by local law enforcement, and questions about the case should be directed the Washington County Sheriff's Office."
Lor was unresponsive and appeared to have been stabbed or shot. He was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where was pronounced dead on arrival with a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Investigators spoke with Lor’s wife, Katie, who said her husband had listed his Nissan 350Z for sale on Craigslist. Lor had kept his car at an auto repair shop in White Bear Lake, where he worked, but was advised he needed to move it to free up storage space. In the meantime, he was keeping his car at with a friend – Kao Vang.
Investigators learned that on Sept. 8, Lor met with a Hmong man interested in buying the car at the auto shop in White Bear Lake, and the two drove away together in the Nissan around 1:30 p.m.
Between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., two Hmong men came to Vang’s house asking about the car. Lor met with them quickly, but came back in the house and said he didn’t think they had enough money to buy the car.
Around 10 a.m. on Sept. 9, Vang spoke with Lor, who said he was in Lino Lakes and the prospective buyer was making arrangements to get money for the car. Around 3:18 a.m. on Sept. 10, A Washington County sergeant found Lor’s car parked on a trail in Lake Elmo. The hood bearing the images of Lor’s four children had been removed, a DVD player and gas cap were missing and the roof and trunk of the car had been spray painted gray.
Cell phone records traced the phone sued to call Lor in response to the Craigslist ad to a phone purchased Sept. 7 at a Target in Oakdale by Dao Xiong. Call records showed Xiong used the phone to call Lor three times on Sept. 7 and investigators obtained video surveillance of the phone purchase, which matched the description of Xiong in his driver’s license photo and in witness accounts.
When interviewed by police, Xiong admitted to contacting Lor through the Craigslist ad, and said he never intended to buy the car. He said he wanted to steal the car and strip the turbocharger.
Xiong said he made arrangement to test drive the car, and said he stopped the car on a road near Demontreville Trail. When the two got out of the car, Xiong pulled a gun from his jacket pocket and shot Lor.
Xiong said he took the car to his home and stripped it of several parts, then drove it to Lake Elmo and abandoned it on a trail. He said the gun used in the shooting could be found in his home, and the stripped parts could be found on his property or already installed in his own car.
Xiong told police a second man arrested in the murder, Keng Koua Thao, was the second man who met with Lor and had helped him strip parts from the car.
If convicted, Dao Xiong, faces up to 40 years in prison on each count.
Source:
Lake Elmo Murder Victim Was Selling Car on Craigslist