SALT LAKE CITY — After a decade-long wait, attorneys finally made their opening statements in the trial of Alexander Hung Tran, who is charged with three 1st-degree felony counts of aggravated murder.
The case began on Sept. 18, 2015, when 50-year-old Heike Poike, her 2-month-old granddaughter Lyrik Poike, and 28-year-old Dakota Smith were found dead inside a house at 639 N. Sir Philip Drive in the Rose Park neighborhood of Salt Lake City.
Smith was a friend of the Poike family.
Heike Poike was renting the upstairs portion of the residence from Tran, who lived in the basement. He described it as his mom's house.
In their opening statement, Tran's defense lawyers asked the jury to keep an open mind and warned them there would be emotional content.
The state's opening statement outlined what allegedly happened that day.
Prosecutors said a family friend went to the house to check on things after Heike Poike didn't pick up her 8-year-old grandson from school. She saw strange things when she went to the house, noticed the car trunk open, then went to the back door, which was open. Police arrived and went to the living room, where they found all three victims dead. Heike Poike and Lyrik Poike were under a tarp in the living room, and Dakota Smith was deceased on the couch.
All three victims suffered gunshot wounds, and police found 11 casings from a .22-caliber gun upstairs.
Police said they found Tran in the basement. They said he was cooperative and said he was putting down the gun. Police testified that he said, "If I think this is my mom's fault and that she should be here instead, is there anything I can do?"
Police said Tran told them his mom was upset about bills being run up by the tenants, and that he had to obey her and do her right.
Multiple witnesses took the stand Tuesday. The crime scene processor walked through the investigation's findings, photos, casings and other evidence.
There are still other witnesses who will take the stand.
