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and had wasted a lot of money in this fashion. After fleeing the United States in 1994, Wonggoun never withdrew any of his US$ 81,700 for fear of being traced, nor was he aware that his son had made frequent trips to
Thailand searching for him. Summarizing his time as a fugitive, Wonggoun claimed to
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from his storage room, "... I hit her one time and she fell on the floor, and after that I realized what I did, I lost control of myself ... everything was just dark." Wonggoun explained to
Colonel Burd that it was never his intention to kill his wife, but that "I was mad. I wanted to teach her a
463:
Don Osborn explained that unlike a civilian trial, "it's not like a plea bargain. He doesn't get to choose." Major
Villena argued that the couple's money problems were the motive for premeditation, and that Wonggoun had been disturbed about his wife's problems for some time beforehand: "He's not
446:
Reiterating some of his
November 2006 comments, Wonggoun explained that the January 6, 1994 killing was not planned, and resulted from an argument. According to Wonggoun, not only had his wife accrued over US$ 20,000 in gambling debts, but on the day of the killing, he learned that Sopha was
383:
After his arrest, Wonggoun insisted he be considered a Thai citizen and subject to Thai jurisdiction. However, in
December 2007 Thailand's Appeals Court found that as the killing took place in the United States, and Wonggoun is a US citizen, he was subject to the US judicial system.
315:(AFOSI) named Sergeant Wonggoun their number one fugitive; and, in October 2006, offered age-progressed images and a US$ 25,000 reward for information leading to Wonggoun's capture. On November 3, following a tip-off by a Thai woman that Wonggoun was selling
387:
On
February 15, 2008, Wonggoun was transferred to the custody of the AFOSI Detachment 303 at Travis AFB; because OSI investigators believed that Sopha was killed on base, Marin County relinquished legal jurisdiction to the Air Force.
452:
lesson." Arguing for a verdict of voluntary manslaughter, defense attorneys showed that
Wonggoun's own frank candidness about the killing, as well as his ", being in the sudden heat of passion, the only explanation."
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from 1994 to 2006 as the principal suspect in his wife's killing. After his
November 2006 capture in a Thai market, Wonggoun unsuccessfully fought extradition and eventually pleaded guilty to—and was convicted
1146:
416:
Burtram testified that she may have inadvertently informed her father about her mother's boyfriend shortly before her death. When questioned by the defense counsel, she supported the argument for
464:
going from 0 to 100 in two seconds." Further, Wonggoun's methodical and systematic cleanup and disposal of his wife's body evidenced calculation beyond a sudden decision to kill.
1151:
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405:
to determine whether there was probable cause that a crime occurred and that
Wonggoun committed it. During the two-day hearing, the prosecution and defense counsels (
443:. Wonggoun explained that he understood the ramifications of his plea, and detailed the killing upon questioning by the presiding Judge, Colonel William Burd.
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282:. The sergeant was the primary suspect in the killing of his wife of 12 years (conflicting reports give 13), 42-year-old Sopha Wonggoun (née Yodpet).
1141:
439:, Wonggoun requested a court trial as opposed to a military jury panel. On July 28, 2008, the court martial began with Wonggoun pleading guilty to
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have attempted suicide several times: "I have been living in misery all along. I have been living on given time. No happiness or anything at all."
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Ex-Travis resident guilty of voluntary manslaughter in a hammer attack against his spouse, pregnant with another man's child.
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297:. An autopsy later determined Sopha died of "blunt force trauma to the head ... consistent with the shape of a hammer."
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On July 30, 2008, Colonel Burd found
Wonggoun guilty of voluntary manslaughter, and imposed a sentence of 10 years
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The evidence, testimony, and arguments of counsel were reviewed by the proceeding's investigating officer,
304:, Saner had received emergency leave and flew to Thailand—leaving his vehicle in the short-term parking at
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in January 1994, Wonggoun fled the country on January 14 when wanted for questioning by the authorities of
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In the three to four days it took to identify the victim and obtain a search warrant for the Wonggouns'
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the conviction and sentence; the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces later denied review. The
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Tara Villena and Mark Etheridge, respectively) questioned the original Marin County investigator,
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After his arrest, Wonggoun made several statements that were later published in the
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484:(E-1). On April 27, 2010, a panel of the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals
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her with a hammer after learning she was eight months pregnant—despite living
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His wife's body had been found a week earlier on January 7, 1994 wrapped in a
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with Wonggoun for almost a year. Saner further claimed that his wife had an
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pregnant and he was "100 percent" sure the child wasn't his. Retrieving a
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Steven Nash, and Wonggoun's 21-year-old daughter, Sophia Wonggoun Burtram.
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Despite Wonggoun's plea, Air Force prosecutors proceeded with a charge of
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954:"Court rules to extradite Thai-born naturalised American in murder case"
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480:, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and a reduction in rank to
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at the age of 21 and enlisted in the Air Force in 1976. He gained
582:"Air Force's most-wanted fugitive arrested in wife's 1994 slaying"
203:
703:"REGIONAL: FORMER TRAVIS AIRMAN'S MURDER TRIAL CONTINUES TUESDAY"
489:
492:
reports that Wonggoun was released from prison in July, 2013.
15:
336:. He allegedly confessed to killing his wife, admitting to
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United States Air Force personnel who were court-martialed
964:: MCOT Public Company Limited. 2007-12-19. Archived from
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Christine Millette with the AFOSI said Wonggoun would be
46:
36:
1147:
Prisoners and detainees of the United States military
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1021:
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On March 19, 2008, Air Force prosecutors convened an
859:"U.S. Air Force top fugitive in custody in Thailand"
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380:should he be convicted for the murder of his wife.
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94:
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742:"United States Air Force top fugitive in custody"
697:
695:
621:"U.S. fugitive arrested in Thailand over murder"
230:Wonggoun was in federal prison until July 2013.
1028:"Ex-Travis man details '94 slaying of his wife"
662:"Accused Air Force killer back in U.S. custody"
894:"Travis Airman Gets 10 Years For Wife's Death"
655:
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427:Steven Ehlenbeck., who found probable cause.
8:
520:Air Force Office of Special Investigations
313:Air Force Office of Special Investigations
83:
72:
1152:Criminals from the San Francisco Bay Area
1137:American people convicted of manslaughter
772:
770:
553:. Military Times Media Group. 2006-11-06
794:: The Phuket Gazette Co Ltd. 2006-11-04
778:"B1m fugitive arrested in Phitsanuloke"
500:
468:Conviction, sentencing and imprisonment
506:
504:
490:U.S. Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator
7:
988:"Hearing set for ex-Travis sergeant"
1122:Thai emigrants to the United States
823:"Hearing at Travis in 1994 slaying"
306:San Francisco International Airport
933:"SUBCHAPTER I--GENERAL PROVISIONS"
512:"AFOSI: Fugitive Wonggoun's Stats"
258:with his home nation of Thailand.
14:
1157:People from Nakhon Nayok province
935:. U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
372:dictates a potential sentence of
1142:American prisoners and detainees
1068:"His rage led to wife's killing"
370:Uniform Code of Military Justice
319:at the Khoke Matoom Market, the
168:
20:
545:"Most-wanted fugitive arrested"
311:Heading the investigation, the
1127:United States Air Force airmen
210:; born January 22, 1947) is a
1:
580:Fimrite, Peter (2006-11-04).
1066:Hamlin, Brian (2008-07-30).
1026:Hamlin, Brian (2008-07-29).
986:Hamlin, Brian (2008-03-11).
821:Hamlin, Brian (2008-03-20).
752:. 2006-11-03. Archived from
635:. 2006-11-07. Archived from
660:Holmes, Erik (2008-02-29).
204:
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600:Hearst Communications Inc.
289:along a deserted road off
266:Assigned to and living on
248:moved to the United States
234:Immigration and enlistment
904:San Francisco, California
713:San Francisco, California
592:San Francisco, California
252:United States citizenship
193:
82:
750:United States Air Force
587:San Francisco Chronicle
216:United States Air Force
145:United States Air Force
35:, as no other articles
478:dishonorable discharge
441:voluntary manslaughter
418:voluntary manslaughter
225:voluntary manslaughter
70:Thai-American criminal
1076:Vacaville, California
1036:Vacaville, California
996:Vacaville, California
831:Vacaville, California
346:addiction to gambling
323:arrested Wonggoun in
268:Travis Air Force Base
262:Desertion and capture
151:Years of service
474:military confinement
325:Phitsanulok Province
272:air cargo supervisor
516:Air Force Fugitives
457:premeditated murder
366:premeditated murder
783:The Phuket Gazette
403:Article 32 hearing
397:Article 32 hearing
227:by court-martial.
183:Technical Sergeant
174:Technical Sergeant
54:for suggestions.
44:to this page from
378:life imprisonment
321:Royal Thai Police
246:, Saner Wonggoun
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1087:. Retrieved
1072:The Reporter
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1047:. Retrieved
1032:The Reporter
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1007:. Retrieved
992:The Reporter
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970:. Retrieved
966:the original
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937:. Retrieved
927:
916:. Retrieved
914:. 2008-07-30
897:
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877:. Retrieved
875:. 2006-11-03
862:
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842:. Retrieved
827:The Reporter
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796:. Retrieved
781:
758:. Retrieved
754:the original
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725:. Retrieved
723:. 2008-07-28
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683:. Retrieved
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641:. Retrieved
637:the original
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604:. Retrieved
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528:. Retrieved
524:the original
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482:Airman Basic
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287:sleeping bag
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276:Marin County
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240:Nakhon Nayok
237:
229:
214:who was the
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194:เสนอ วงษ์กวน
185:
180:
154:1976–present
119:Nakhon Nayok
98:Buck, Shorty
56:
30:
1112:1947 births
633:Philippines
602:p. B-3
449:claw hammer
353:Extradition
338:bludgeoning
302:mobile home
95:Nickname(s)
1106:Categories
1089:2008-08-02
1049:2008-08-02
1009:2008-03-22
972:2008-03-22
939:2006-12-30
918:2008-08-02
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557:2006-11-21
530:2007-01-28
496:References
280:California
129:Allegiance
109:1947-01-22
59:April 2021
50:; try the
37:link to it
411:Detective
40:. Please
962:Thailand
792:Thailand
486:affirmed
317:charcoal
295:pregnant
244:Thailand
238:Born in
220:fugitive
160:in 1994)
158:deserted
139:Service/
123:Thailand
958:Bangkok
899:KPIX-TV
864:Reuters
708:KPIX-TV
425:Colonel
358:Captain
218:'s top
201::
181:Former
788:Phuket
629:Makati
407:Majors
368:; the
342:chaste
270:as an
141:branch
33:orphan
31:is an
392:Trial
374:death
476:, a
461:TSgt
199:RTGS
190:Thai
165:Rank
103:Born
459:.
376:or
223:of—
1108::
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