MAN CONVICTED AND FOUND LEGALLY SANE IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES MURDER AND ATTEMPTED MURDER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Case # 09HF0287

Date: November 21, 2017

MAN CONVICTED AND FOUND LEGALLY SANE IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES MURDER AND ATTEMPTED MURDER OF FATHER, MOTHER, AND BROTHERS OF EX-GIRLFRIEND IN IRVINE

*Defendant caused standoff with police for several hours

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was convicted and found legally sane today in the special circumstances murder and attempted murder of members of his ex-girlfriend’s family.

Defendant

Charges

Maximum Sentence

Court Date

Alwyn Gibson, 32, Costa Mesa

Found guilty by a jury on Nov. 13, 2017, of the following felony counts:

  • Murder
  • Attempted murder
  • Aggravated assault

 

Sentencing Enhancements

  • Special circumstances – murder during the commission of a robbery
  • Personal discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury

Life in state prison without the possibility of parole

Sentencing

 

Dec. 15, 2017, 9:00 a.m.

 

Department C-35, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana

Circumstances of the Case

  • On the evening of Feb. 20, 2009, Gibson went to the Irvine home of his former girlfriend, who no longer lived in the home and was not present at the time.
  • The ex-girlfriend’s family was home having dinner, including her father, 60-year-old De Ngoc Le, mother, 47-year-old Ly Le, and two brothers, 22-year-old Michael Le and 24-year-old David Le.
  • The defendant entered the home carrying a firearm and placed a large citrus fruit over the barrel to muffle the sound of shots being fired.
  • Gibson demanded money from the family and searched through Ly Le’s purse.
  • The defendant then shot Ly Le one time in the arm and hit David Le over the head with the firearm.
  • Gibson forced De Ngoc Le and Michael Le to kneel in an upstairs bedroom and shot De Ngoc Le in the back of the head, murdering him.
  • The defendant shot Michael Le in the back of the neck in an attempt to murder the victim. Michael Le was in serious condition in the hospital for several days but survived.
  • David Le was able to escape and ran to a neighbor’s house to call 911.
  • Irvine Police Department (IPD) Special Weapons and Tactics Team arrived at the scene, where Gibson engaged the officers in standoff for several hours before finally surrendering in the early morning hours of Feb. 21, 2009.

IPD investigated this case.

Prosecutor: Senior Deputy District Attorney Eric Scarbrough, Homicide Unit