California man charged with murder after he reported his wife, her mother missing; bodies not found: police

Phuc Vo, 40, reported his wife and mother-in-law missing in September 2023, but investigators became suspicious after alleged inconsistencies in his story

A California man who reported his wife and her mother missing in September has been charged with their deaths, police said Monday. 

Phuc Vo, 40, is charged with two counts of murder in the slayings of his wife, Tho Ly, 40, and her 74-year-old mother, Que Tran, the San Pablo Police Department said. 

Authorities have not located the bodies of the women and have not disclosed how they were killed. 

Vo filed a missing persons report on Sept. 13, 2023, saying that both women had gone missing a week earlier. He said they left their home in a 2017 Honda Fit to travel to Southern California following a family argument, police said. 

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Phuc Vo with his wife and her mother

Phuc Vo, 40, is charged with two counts of murder in the slayings of his wife, Tho Ly, 40, and her 74-year-old mother, Que Tran. Vo reported the pair missing in September, police said.  (San Pablo Police Department)

Investigators said the information about the women traveling to Southern California couldn't be "corroborated."

During the investigation, detectives "discovered inconsistencies" in Vo's statement about the womens' vehicle. He was seen driving it on Dec. 5, 2023 in Oakland, authorities said. 

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"Subsequently, Vo was identified as a person of interest in connection with the missing persons case," a police statement said. 

On Feb. 29, investigators searched Vo's home, and he was arrested. Neighbors told Fox San Francisco that authorities were seen digging up the yard at Vo's home.

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He is being held with no bail at the Martinez Detention Facility, according to jail records. 

Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Authored by Louis Casiano via FoxNews March 5th 2024