UMVA has learned that a dramatic and disturbing case of murder has unfolded in a Toronto neighborhood, with a software developer taking the stand to insist he did not kill his neighbor, a filmmaker, despite a contentious dispute over barbecue fumes.
Khoa Tran, 36, testified in his own defense, wearing a bold white linen suit, and maintained that he had nothing to do with the murder of Reeyaz Habib, 53, who lived in a condo unit above Tran's townhouse. The dispute between the two had initially started over the smell of barbecue wafting into Habib's home, with Tran recalling Habib asking, "What were you cooking – dog?" following an argument on May 20, 2023.
Tran claimed that the relationship between him and Habib had initially been good, with the two grabbing beers and talking on the shared stairs, but it deteriorated over the barbecue issue. He said they had resolved the issue, but Habib "crossed the line" in another argument on June 1, 2023, when he accused Tran of trafficking their roommate, Linh Hua.
Tran admitted to being angry and offended, but insisted he did not commit the murder. "No," he said calmly. "I did not." Tran has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the June 2023 slaying. His wife, Quynh (Isabelle) Nguyen, 30, has pleaded not guilty to being an accessory after the fact and committing an indignity to a body.
Habib's decomposing remains were discovered by a garbage man on June 8, 2023, in the condo's underground trash compactor. Two notes were found on the body, warning it was heavy and to be careful not to open it because it contained glass and sharp materials.
Tran claimed that on the night of the murder, he was working late and was jolted awake by three screams for help coming from Habib's unit, followed by the sounds of a struggle and someone falling down the stairs. However, he did not call 911, thinking it might have been something else.
Under cross-examination, Tran's lawyer, Liam O'Connor, asked him why he didn't call 911, to which Tran replied that he had thought it might have been just another noise in the neighborhood. Tran also admitted to stealing Habib's unlocked bicycle and throwing it in the trash two days later, which was caught on video.
The court has heard that Habib was never seen alive again after the night of June 1, 2023. Tran's wife, Nguyen, had testified that Tran had told her not to talk to police after Habib's body was found, which Tran admitted to, saying he was afraid of being involved in the case.
Crown attorney Anna Tenhouse expertly poked at Tran's arrogance during cross-examination, confronting him with his neighbor's testimony that she saw Tran coming out of Habib's home on June 7, 2023. Tran denied this, but Tenhouse played a video that appeared to show a man wearing a similar hat and clothes to Tran.
