Hard-hitting opening arguments at Dallas Ly’s trial for his mother’s murder

In Toronto, Dallas Ly pleaded not guilty to a charge of unpremeditated murder at the opening of his trial Monday, before the hearing was adjourned when he felt unwell. The Crown and defense only had time to read their initial arguments to the jury.

In its indictment, the Crown explains that Dallas Ly has already admitted that he killed his mother, Thanh Tien Ly, even though he pleaded not guilty to the charge of unpremeditated murder.

Abnormal absence from work

Prosecutor Jay Scare says the victim and defendant worked at a nail salon downtown and lived in an apartment on the city’s east side.

According to Me Scare, Tien Ly made his son come to work on Sunday March 27, 2022, which would not have pleased him, according to text messages that the accused sent to friends.

Dallas Ly writes in particular: I could no longer remain the good son I always was.

The young man left the salon a few hours after the arrival of an employee whom the salon owner had called in the morning. Tien Dung Nguyen assured investigators that his boss was still in the business when he finished his work day.

The next day, the employee returned to the salon and realized that his boss was not there, that she had left her cell phone there and that the large suitcase used to pack the towels to be washed had disappeared.

Worried, he called Dallas Ly and the owner’s sister, Huyen Ly, but without success. He takes the liberty of answering his boss’s cell phone. It’s the friend of the missing woman who calls her to see where she is.

Two days later, still no news. He calls Huyen Ly to help him in the living room. Ms. Ly then decides to call 911.

Important suspicious clues

Upon arriving at the apartment, the police discovered that the door was unlocked. Upon entering, she notices that blood stains have been poorly cleaned in the entryway, hallway, and master bedroom.

She grabbed a hammer from the bathroom, a hunting knife from a backpack, gloves with blood inside, a suitcase, and a coat with torn sleeves from a garbage bag.

The Crown maintains that Tien Ly was stabbed 27 times, that she was decapitated, and that both parts of the body were put in bags thrown into the garbage in the Leslieville neighborhood.

Me Scare specifies that examinations ofDNA show that the blood found on the floor and the coat probably belongs to the victim and that that found in one of the gloves is undoubtedly that of the accused.

Video from the victim’s apartment building captured an individual pushing bags in a cart to the corner of Eastern and Carlaw avenues. It is past midnight on March 28, 2022.

Mr. Scare maintains that Dallas Ly then returned home to change and fled to Hamilton before turning himself in to police six days later, on April 2, 2022.

In Hamilton, Dallas Ly met, according to the Crown, with a Salvation Army social worker, pretending to be a Chinese refugee named Yune Yi.

The accused told him that he had arrived in the country five days earlier, but that customs officials had seized his passport at the airport.

According to the Crown, Dallas Ly had a difficult relationship with her mother and Huyen Ly will be able to confirm this at trial, since she lived with them when she arrived in Canada in 2009.

The accused’s aunt told investigators that Tien Ly often belittled her son and that his sister thought he was stupid And lazy.

The prosecutor finally assures that the accused compromised himself in the text messages he sent to friends on March 30, 2022.

Dallas Ly wrote to one of them asking ifhe would dare to look him in the face if he admitted to him that he had done something serious.

A traumatic youth

Dallas Ly’s defense obtained permission from the court to read its opening arguments immediately after the Crown.

Lawyer Marco Sciarra emphasizes that this trial will not seek to know who the culprit is, but rather the reasons why he acted in this way. He asks the jury to demonstrate objectivity.

Me Sciarra maintains that his client was tyrannized by his mother who forced him to work in her living room at all times.

The defense also plans to call to the witness stand a psychiatrist specializing in parental violence and post-traumatic stress in children.

Dallas was beaten and disciplined with a bamboo backscratcher and his mother kept treating him like a good-for-nothinghe continues, suggesting that his client also intends to testify.

His mother compared him to a homeless person who would bring dishonor to his familyhe said, specifying that the victim took care never to show his disappointment and his shame in public.

Mr. Sciarra points out that Dallas Ly had warned his mother that he was going to leave her, but that she became furious.

Tien Ly even threatened to kill him. If you die, I won’t go to your funeralshe would have admitted to him.

Lawyer admits Tien Ly’s murder was terriblethat the way to dispose of the body was pitiful and that his client’s flight was stupid.

He adds, however, that his client was in denial and then panicked when he realized what he had done. He had the moral strength to face the consequences of his actionhe concludes.