My-Linh Nguyen

My-Linh Nguyen was a beloved 45-year-old manicurist, wife, and mother to a teenage son. Known as "Lily" to her coworkers at a nail salon in downtown Seattle, she was remembered for her joyful spirit. She was often the first to arrive at work and would fill the salon with her singing. Her sister-in-law, My Lieu, recalled how she brought joy to others and how people would laugh with her when she sang. My-Linh was an Asian woman who lived with her husband and 15-year-old son in South Seattle.

The evening of December 15, 2016, began as a routine commute home for My-Linh. After finishing her shift downtown, she took the light rail and then a Metro bus, a journey she made regularly. Just after 8 p.m., as she walked from the bus stop, she was attacked only a few houses from her front door, near the intersection of South Warsaw Street and 39th Avenue South. An assailant attempted to steal her purse, and when she resisted, a violent struggle ensued. During the confrontation, the robber shot My-Linh multiple times.

Tragically, her 15-year-old son was inside their home and heard the gunshots. He told police he saw a man stomping on his mother and dragging her down the block as he tried to help her. He and his father found her critically wounded outside. My-Linh was rushed to Harborview Medical Center, but she did not survive her injuries. The attack was particularly harrowing as My-Linh had been on the phone with a friend in Vietnam at the time, who overheard the entire event.

The Seattle Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation. Detectives learned that the attack was part of a disturbing series of robberies in South Seattle over the previous four and a half months, many of which targeted elderly Asian women. Investigators released a sketch of the suspect, described by a witness as a Black male, between 18 and 30 years old, 5'8" with a thin build and dark complexion. At the time of the murder, he was reportedly wearing a Seahawks ski cap and a blue Seahawks jersey with a gray shirt underneath. Police also asked for the public's help in locating a possible getaway vehicle, a dark-colored SUV that might have been a 2001-2005 Acura MDX, which the suspect was seen getting into after the shooting.

Nearly a year later, in November 2017, Seattle police publicly identified 20-year-old Arshawn Ezekiel Mason as a person of interest they wanted to question in connection with My-Linh's murder. Authorities released his photograph and warned that he should be considered armed and dangerous. On November 13, 2017, Mason surrendered to detectives, accompanied by an attorney, and was booked into the King County Jail for investigation of homicide and robbery.

However, a few days later, on November 16, Mason was released from jail. The King County Prosecutor's Office announced that he was being released without charges, stating that the investigation was still ongoing and that there was insufficient evidence to proceed at that time. Whether Mason remained a suspect in the killing was not made clear.

The brutal and senseless killing horrified the South Seattle community. Neighbors expressed their shock and fear over the violence. In the wake of her death, a GoFundMe page was established to support My-Linh's family. Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound offered a $1,000 reward for information that could identify the suspect. As of the last reports in November 2017, the investigation into My-Linh Nguyen's murder remains active and ongoing. No arrests have been made, and her killer has not been brought to justice. The Seattle Police Department asks anyone with information about the shooting to call the homicide tip line at 206-233-5000.