Navel Gazing

« To Do Tonight 7/24 | Main | Toxic Soup du Jour »

Thien Minh Ly's Killer: "I Am Not a Monster"

Posted by R. Scott Moxley in Breaking News, Crime & Sex, Moxley

July 24, 2008 12:50 PM

Permalink | Comments (3)

Last week, we featured the story of Gunner Jay Lindberg's attempts to get off California's death row by arguing that his brutal, 1996 ambush murder of Thien Minh Ly, a popular Vietnamese American immigrant, was not a hate crime related to white supremacist views. (That story can be found here, for those of you who missed it.)

The state's Supreme Court is considering Lindberg's claims and is due to issue an opinion this summer.

Yesterday, we received a handwritten letter from Lindberg, who expressed sorrow.

"I've never denied that I took Mr. Thien Minh Ly's life--but not for the reasons I was convicted," Lindberg wrote from condemned row in the notorious San Quentin State Prison. "It was not a robbery nor was it a hate crime. I do believe I should pay for my crime as I took his life, so I see my punishment as justice. I know if it were someone in my family I'd want justice and no amount of sorrys would change that. I'm no where near perfect, but I'm not a monster. I've done a terrible wrong not only to Mr. Ly but his family and I can't take it back."

So why did he stab Ly--president of the Vietnamese Student Association when he attended UCLA--22 times, mostly in the heart?

It was, Lindberg (pictured at the time of his arrest) tells me, merely "reckless actions."

-- R. Scott Moxley / OC Weekly

 

Comments (3)

  1. DT says:
    July 24, 2008 14:57

    Gunner: What you did to Thien Minh Ly was monstrous regardless of the reason.

  2. bobbyc says:
    July 29, 2008 18:33

    Gunner, it was a HATE-CRIME, as you are a EVIL human who hates minorities! Time to take your IV, and go to HELL... the Devil is calling, and he wants you soul NOW!!!!

  3. Rochelle Lopez says:
    August 1, 2008 04:21

    Gunner, there is no doubt in my mind it was a hate crime. As an ex co-worker of yours who worked with you personally at K-Mart had heard you numerous times make racial comments about customers or co-workers who weren't white when they would walk by your (shoe) department. Accept your punishment stop fighting and wasting tax payers money...why should anyone in today's society spare you or your family your life? Especially after you took not one but two people's lives away. Yes, I said two... not only did you take Mr. Ly's life from him but you took Domenic's life as well. There is no excuse for Domenic's actions but as a young kid who wanted to fit in you took advantage of his vulnerability and innocence.

Post a comment

 

OC Weekly • 1666 N Main St • Ste 500 • Santa Ana CA 92701