Crime & Safety
Halloween Cold Case Killer Still Sought In North County 28 Years Later
An Escondido family answered the door to give candy to a trick-or-treater on Halloween night in 1995. Then, a fatal shot was fired.
ESCONDIDO, CA — Authorities reached out to the public Wednesday for help in solving a murder that took place in northern San Diego County on Halloween night 28 years ago.
The unidentified killer, his face cloaked by a bandana, knocked on the front door of 30-year-old Phoutone "Taun" Lothirath's home in the 1200 block of South Upas Street in Escondido shortly before 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 31, 1995, according to police.
Lothirath's 10-year-old son, Eddy, answered the door. Taking the visitor for a trick-or-treater, the boy turned around to retrieve candy from a table. The assailant then went inside, ordered the child to the back of the house and gunned down Lothirath.
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The killer then ran out of the home and fled the area, possibly in a black or dark-blue Toyota or similar vehicle, according to investigators.
Following the deadly shooting, someone fired a gun into the victim's house through a front window. Detectives determined that those rounds came from a different firearm than the one that mortally wounded Lothirath.
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Investigators believe the murderer and the victim were likely acquainted, according to police.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477 or contact the agency online at sdcrimestoppers.org. Tipsters may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
