Long Nguyen, a 51-year-old Vietnamese man, was found dead on October 5, 2022, in his Houston apartment. He was discovered bound and gagged, with duct tape over his mouth and nose, and the cause of death was asphyxiation. Signs of a struggle and a ransacked apartment were reported; several items were missing though nothing of significant value was noted stolen.

Investigators later tied DNA from a marijuana joint left at the scene to a profile in the national database, which led to the arrest of 20-year-old Willie Guillory. Authorities say the killing was part of a murder-for-hire plot involving spiritual advisor Dephne Wright, who allegedly worked with Chau Tran, Nguyen’s son-in-law, over a debt and a large life insurance policy naming Tran as beneficiary. Wright is reported to have recruited Bobby Guillory and Willie Guillory to carry out the attack.

Convictions and sentences have been reported for those accused in the plot.