- Charles Ng
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For the racing driver, see Charles Ng (racer).
Charles Ng
Mug shot of Ng taken in 1982Background information Birth name Charles Chi-Tat Ng Born December 24, 1960
Hong KongConviction Burglary
Kidnapping
Conspiracy to Commit Murder
Attempted Murder
MurderSentence Death Killings Number of victims: 11–25[1] Span of killings 1983–1985 Country United States State(s) Calaveras County, California Date apprehended June 6, 1985[2] Charles Chi-Tat Ng (Chinese: 吳志達/吴志达, Cantonese pronunciation: [ŋ̩̏ tsītàt̚], pinyin: Wú Zhìdá; born December 24, 1960) is a serial killer. With Leonard Lake, he is suspected of murdering between 11 and 25 victims at Lake's ranch in Calaveras County, California, United States.
After a long extradition battle in Canada,[3][4] Ng stood trial in the US and was convicted of 11[1] murders, and is currently on death row at San Quentin State Prison.
Contents
Early life
Ng was born in Hong Kong in 1960,[5] the son of a wealthy company executive. As a child, he was harshly disciplined and abused by his father. As a teenager, Ng was described as a troubled loner and was expelled from several schools. When he was arrested for shoplifting at age 15, his father sent him to Bentham Grammar boarding school in Yorkshire, England.[3] Not long after arriving, he was expelled for stealing from other students and returned to Hong Kong.
Ng finally moved to the United States, where he entered Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, California. However, he dropped out after only one semester.
U.S. Marine Corps
In early 1980, although Ng was not a United States citizen, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Ng later revealed that with the help of a recruiting sergeant, he provided fake papers stating he was born in Bloomington, Indiana.[6] After serving less than a year he was dishonorably discharged for theft of heavy weaponry and machine guns from MCAS Kaneohe Bay.[6] He was further charged with escape from confinement and attempted desertion, though the desertion charge was dropped. Ng was convicted on the remaining charges and was sentenced to 14 years in a military prison. He was released in late 1982, when his sentence was commuted.[7]
Murders
Ng met Leonard Lake in 1983 and the two are suspected of murdering between 11 and 25 victims at Lake's ranch in Calaveras County, California. They filmed themselves raping and torturing their victims.[8]
The crimes became known in 1985 when Lake committed suicide after being arrested, and Ng was caught shoplifting[6] at a hardware store. Police searched Lake's ranch and found human remains. Ng was identified as Lake's partner in crime.
Ng fled to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where he was arrested by the Calgary Police Service on June 6, 1985,[2] after resisting arrest for shoplifting at The Bay department store. Ng pointed a pistol at two security guards, and after a brief struggle shot one of them in the hand. However, the guards managed to overpower him and held him in custody. Ng was charged and subsequently convicted of shoplifting, felonious assault, and possession of a concealed firearm. He was sentenced to four and half years[2] in a Canadian prison.
Murder trial
After a long extradition battle,[3] Ng was handed over to the U.S. authorities. He stood trial in 1998 on 12 counts of murder and was convicted on February 11, 1999, of the murders of six men, three women, and two male infants, or 11 of 12 counts. He was sentenced to death. Ng's trial was lengthy and cost California approximately $20 million. At the time, it was the most expensive trial in the state's history.[9]
Charles Ng is currently on death row at San Quentin State Prison. Since entering prison, Ng has taken up art. He studied at UFV.
References
- ^ a b WELBORN, LARRY (2011-02-25). "O.C. death row: 11 murders, maybe more". THE REGISTER. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/county-289813-convicted-murders.html?pic=1. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
- ^ a b c "Ngs trail went from California to Calgary and back again". The Lethbridge Herald (Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada: Heritage Archives): p. A9. 11/12/1998. http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=62740315&firstvisit=true&src=search¤tResult=0¤tPage=0&fpo=False. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
- ^ a b c "Reference Re Ng Extradition". umontreal.ca. 1991-09-26. http://scc.lexum.umontreal.ca/en/1991/1991scr2-858/1991scr2-858.html. Retrieved 2011-02-27.
- ^ Reference re Ng Extradition
- ^ "Charles Chi-tat Ng – Extradited From Canada to Face Death Penalty in California". Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty. 2005-04-25. http://ccadp.org/charlesng.htm. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
- ^ a b c Lasseter, Don (2000). Die For Me:The Terrifying True Story of the Charles Ng & Leonard Lake Torture Murders. Pinnacle Books. pp. 75,83,151. ISBN 0786019263.
- ^ United States vs Charles Ng
- ^ World: Americas Serial killer sentenced to die, BBC, Thursday, July 1, 1999 Published at 01:01 GMT 02:01 UK
- ^ "Leonard Lake and Charles Ng". http://www.francesfarmersrevenge.com/stuff/serialkillers/miranda.htm. Retrieved 2011-02-25.
External links
Categories:- 1960 births
- Living people
- Chinese murderers of children
- Chinese people convicted of murder
- Chinese prisoners sentenced to death
- Chinese rapists
- Chinese serial killers
- People convicted of murder by California
- People convicted of theft
- People deported from Canada
- People from Calaveras County, California
- Hong Kong people
- Prisoners sentenced to death by California
- United States Marines
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