Mother Cries on Stand in Tragedy on a Bridge Trial
(MOBILE, Ala.) March 15 - Wearing a button-down shirt, khaki pants and what appeared to be a calm look on his face, Lam Luong entered a Mobile courtroom Monday. In her seat and then testifying on the stand, the children's mother, Kieu Phan, cried.
Through an interpreter, she talked about how, in the days leading up to the murders of Ryan Phan, 3, Hannah Luong, 2, Lindsey Luong, 1, and 3-month-old Danny Luong, her husband, Lam, was jobless, broke, cheating on her and using crack cocaine.
As Luong used headphones in court Monday, to hear his interpreter, Bayou La Batre Police testified how, after the children were reported missing, Luong said they were with a family friend. The mother revealed that the only way she could get Luong to finally admit to what happened to her children was to lie and say she was sick and only had one year to live.
Luong's lawyers are not speaking with the media throughout the course of the trial and outside the courtroom Monday, prosecutors were not saying much, either.
"I'm going to let the evidence come from the witness stand as we go through this trial," said Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson, Jr. "I'm going to try not to try to comment on the evidence as it comes in."
In court, prosecutors played a videotaped interview Luong gave to Bayou La Batre Police, the day after the children went missing. In the interview, Luong confessed to throwing them off the bridge.
The children's aunt and grandmother also testified Monday, as well as members of the Bayou La Batre police department.
In court Tuesday, prosecutors are expected to play another taped interview with Luong.
