{"id":14623,"date":"2026-06-12T20:02:33","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T20:02:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14623"},"modified":"2026-06-12T20:02:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T20:02:33","slug":"international-fugitive-accused-of-oc-killing-and-botched-murder-for-hire-in-san-jose-brought-back-to-u-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14623","title":{"rendered":"International fugitive accused of OC killing and botched murder-for-hire in San Jose brought back to U.S."},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

An international fugitive accused of executing a man in Orange County and orchestrating a botched murder for hire in San Jose that left the wrong person dead has been returned to the United States after being captured in Laos, authorities announced on Friday, June 12.<\/p>\n

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Myung Jin Kim, 31, was detained in Laos for allegedly using fraudulent travel documents. His removal and extradition marks the first time a wanted fugitive has been returned to the United States from Laos, law enforcement officials said.<\/p>\n

Kim \u2014 who faces murder charges for a 2016 killing in San Jose and a 2018 slaying in Westminster \u2014 was flown into Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday, booked into the Anaheim city jail, turned over to the San Jose Police Department and then transported to Santa Clara County.<\/p>\n

\u201cJustice knows no borders and we will go to the literal ends of the earth in the pursuit of justice,\u201d Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a written statement. \u201cIt may not be today. It may not be tomorrow. But the long arm of the law of Orange County is coming for you and there is not a country on earth that is capable of shielding you from our unwavering pursuit of justice.\u201d<\/p>\n

On June 27, 2016, a man was ambushed when his vehicle came to a stop in a residential neighborhood in San Jose. Investigators learned that the victim had been ambushed, and that at least one person had gotten out of another vehicle and shot the man \u2014 who was later identified as 26-year-old Justin Tran\u2013 before fleeing the scene.<\/p>\n

Kim was identified as a suspect in the killing. A warrant was issued for his arrest. But authorities were unable to find him.<\/p>\n

Two years later, Kim was out on bail in Orange County after being charged with drug dealing and possessing a gun as a convicted felon and metal piercing ammunition.<\/p>\n

On Sept. 5, 2018, prosecutors allege that Kim killed his friend \u2014 26-year-old Christopher Kim \u2014 during an argument about money. Kim shot his friend six times in front of his friend\u2019s girlfriend in the parking lot of a CVS in Westminster, prosecutors say, and then ran away.<\/p>\n

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\n<\/div>\n

In November 2018, an arrest warrant was issued for Kim in connection with the Westminster killing. But authorities say he once again was able to evade law enforcement.<\/p>\n

In February 2020, an arrest warrant was issued for Kim for the San Jose killing, after investigators determined that a hitman he had allegedly hired to kill another person had instead shot Tran to death.<\/p>\n

Late last year, investigators learned that Kim was in Laos, and the Orange County and Santa Clara County district attorney\u2019s offices \u2014 along with the FBI and the U.S. Marshals \u2014 coordinated to get him back to the United States.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Kim\u2019s cowardly acts of violence finally caught up with him, despite being halfway across the globe,\u201d Patrick Grandy, the assistant director in charge of the FBI\u2019s Los Angeles Field Office, said in a written statement. \u201cThe FBI\u2019s Orange County Violent Crime Task Force is proud to assist police departments seeking violent subjects who\u2019ve fled the jurisdiction, and we will continue these partnerships and those we\u2019ve developed with countries all over the world to seek justice for victims of violent crime.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Kim will face trial for the San Jose killing in Santa Clara County before being returned to Orange County to face a murder charge for the Westminster slaying, authorities said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you come to our City and commit murder or any other serious crime, we will track you down and arrest you,\u201d Westminster Police Chief Darin Lenyi said in a written statement. \u00a0\u201cNo matter how long it takes us or where you flee to, we are coming for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Authorities allege Myung Jin Kim, 31, executed a friend in Westminster and orchestrated the killing of what turned out to be the wrong man in San Jose.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14622,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-based-on-facts-either-observed-and-verified-directly-by-the-reporter-or-reported-and-verified-from-knowledgeable-sources","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nInternational fugitive accused of OC killing and botched murder-for-hire in San Jose brought back to U.S. - Silicon Valley Moving Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14623\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"International fugitive accused of OC killing and botched murder-for-hire in San Jose brought back to U.S. - 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