LAKE COUNTY, FLA. – The four-year anniversary of the unsolved murder of two beloved shopkeepers in Mount Dora is gnawing at detectives who are offering a $10,000 reward for information.
Minh “Tina” Nguyen, 47, and Khiem “Ken” Ba Trinh, 56, fled from Vietnam to pursue the American dream only to end up being crime victims on Nov. 30, at their T & N Market at 1345 N. Grandview St.
The gunman wore all black, had a covering over his head and face and wore gloves when he forced the couple to back of the store.
Minh begged for their lives while urging him to take whatever he wanted. “I promise you, I won’t do anything,” she said.
One minute after fleeing on foot a woman entered the store and left without calling 911, despite hearing one of the victims crying out for help.
That woman, Undrea Dixon, showed up four hours later for an impromptu candlelight vigil waring the same clothes. She was later charged with giving false information to investigators and jailed for 10 months.
Mount Dora Detective Gary Hutcheson believes she knows more than she was telling.
He also believes that unlike some armed robberies, where thieves come in from Orlando, this criminal is local.
“I’ve heard that the killer told people he did it, but none of these people have come forward,” he said in an interview with WFTV last year.
He told me that police have interviewed 150 people. Tipsters can call Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.
“This tragic loss has deeply impacted our community. Ken and Tina were not just business owners—they were family to so many in Mount Dora,” Police Chief Michael Gibson said in a Monday press release. “We are committed to finding the person responsible and bringing them to justice, but we need the community’s help to make that happen. Even the smallest tip could make a difference.”