California Crime Stories

Episode 9: The Murder of Haing S. Ngor

On February 25th, 1996, doctor, actor, author, activist, and Cambodian genocide survivor Haing S. Ngor was murdered outside his LA apartment. Ngor survived the genocide that claimed his wife, family, and nearly two million Cambodians, only to be shot in what police believed was a robbery gone wrong. After escaping Cambodia, Ngor gained fame for his Oscar-winning performance in The Killing Fields. His Hollywood success allowed him to raise awareness about Cambodia’s genocide and aid refugees. Although three LA gang members were convicted for his murder, rumors persist that Ngor was killed on Cambodian dictator Pol Pot’s orders as retaliation for his activism.

Our recommendations for this episode:
-Thelma  bit.ly/4caJmWA
-Slow Horses bit.ly/4dv2TSE
-Anthony Bourdain’s Cambodia episode: https://bit.ly/3Ao8ls4

Sources:
-The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor. https://bit.ly/4dwEEUe
-“A Physician’s Acting Heals Wounds of War.” https://bit.ly/3WWY9yH
-“2 Juries Reach Verdicts in Oscar Winner’s Death." https://bit.ly/3WZBAKI
-“3 LA Juries Convict Gang Members in Ngor Murder." https://bit.ly/3yuLURu
-California Incarcerated Records & Information Search. https://bit.ly/3WWZeaQ
-“Cambodia.” https://bit.ly/3A7ghOj
-“Cambodia.” https://bit.ly/3LXAc4W
-“Cambodia.” Thttps://bit.ly/4fB0R55
-“Cambodia.” https://bit.ly/3WE5KSf
-“Cambodia before 1975.” https://bit.ly/3SBeZ4M
-“Cambodia 1975-1979.”https://bit.ly/3WTHOvx
-“Three Men Convicted of Killing Ngor." bit.ly/4fCC2Gg
-“Cambodia: A Historical Overview.” https://bit.ly/3AgnFae
-“Khmer Rouge Link Probed in Killing. https://bit.ly/3YES4t6
-Survival in the Killing Fields. https://bit.ly/3YuQx8Q
-“Haing Ngor Dies in the Killing Fields of L.A.” https://bit.ly/3YENmeD
-“Jason Chan.” https://bit.ly/4fQCmRQ
-“How Nixon’s Invasion of Cambodia Triggered a Check on Presidential Power.” https://bit.ly/46EXdDb
-“Three Are Charged in Murder of Actor from ‘Killing Fields.’ https://bit.ly/3LSeob4
-"Ngor Slain For Money, Not Politics.” https://bit.ly/3YHQDKi
-“Revisiting Haing Ngor’s murder: ‘Killing Fields’ theory won’t die.” https://bit.ly/3WEZUjQ
-“People v. Tak Sun Tan, 68 Cal.App.5th 1." https://bit.ly/3yvLzOD
-“Reducing a Sentence Under SB 1437 - A Top CA Appeals Lawyer Explains.” https://bit.ly/3SNZXsj
-“How We Made The Killing Fields.” https://bit.ly/4dq4Z6s
-“The Life and Strange Death of the Khmer Rouge Survivor Who Won an Oscar, Then Got Murdered.” https://bit.ly/3AkwAYg
-“The Killing Fields (1984).” https://bit.ly/3yqaaEy   
-The Price of Duty, Season 1 Ep. 3: “Det. John Garcia.” https://bit.ly/3AbVB7Y
-“3 Teens Are Charged With Murder of ‘Killing Fields’ Actor Haing Ngor. https://bit.ly/3LU19qn