2014-11-14 Tran

Man wanted in 1996 homicide found, returned to Amarillo

A man accused in the 1996 killing of his wife in Amarillo has been returned to Potter County after spending 18 years as a fugitive, according to jail records and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Ngoc Van Tran, 44, originally from Vietnam, was arrested in Mexico by the U.S. Marshals Service and brought back to Amarillo on Thursday, DPS officials said. He is charged with the murder of his wife, Mildred Diannia “Pam” Packer.^[1]

Packer, 33 at the time, was last seen on the night of September 17, 1996, at an Asian restaurant on Amarillo Boulevard with Tran. After leaving her three children with family, she never returned home. They were immediately afraid for her safety when she didn't return that night, according to coverage in the Amarillo Globe-News files.

When she had not returned for the children after two days, the family reported her disappearance to local law enforcement.

Packer's body was found about 5:30 a.m. Oct. 15, 1996, in the trunk of a maroon Oldsmobile parked outside of the Villa Apartments, now the Cross Timbers Apartments, 2601 N. Grand St. She had been missing for four weeks.

Authorities believe Tran, who speaks fluent Spanish, fled to Mexico shortly after the killing. His case gained national attention, appearing on “America’s Most Wanted” and “Unsolved Mysteries,” and he was listed among Texas’ Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. A $5,000 reward was offered for information leading to his capture.

Investigators continued pursuing the case for years. In 2011, U.S. Marshals identified Tran’s location in Mexico. Tran was arrested in June 2012 and has been fighting extradition ever since, claiming he was married to a Mexican woman. After his appeals in Mexico ran out, marshals from Dallas went into Mexico to bring him back to Potter County.^[2]

Officials say he had become involved in a large drug-trafficking operation while in Mexico. DPS declined to reveal exactly where Tran was arrested for fear of disrupting ongoing investigations in the region.

Tran has an extensive criminal history, DPS records show.

In 1989, Tran delivered cocaine to an undercover officer in exchange for weapons. Two months later, he was arrested in Amarillo for burglarizing a private residence.

In 1990, Tran was charged with larceny. He served prison time in prison before he was granted parole in May 1992, DPS said.

In 1996, Tran was charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon, assault causing bodily injury and evading arrest or detention with a motor vehicle.

He was booked into Potter County on charges of murder, evading arrest, and parole violations on his original charges of burglary of a habitation and delivery of a controlled substance, with bail set at more than $1 million. However, a parole hold and an immigration hold prevent his release.

Authorities emphasized that the case demonstrates their long-term commitment to pursuing fugitives. “These things don’t go away,” said Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Garry Brewer.

"The U.S. Marshals Service and law enforcement as a whole are going to continue to try to track down and locate these people and bring them to justice for the families and the victims."

Packer’s son, Shane, who was three years old at the time of her death, said he is still processing the news of his father’s return. Now 21, he said he does not believe Tran was responsible and hopes to contact him while he remains in custody.

Ngoc Van Tran, 1996

Ngoc Van Tran, 2014

Ngoc Van Tran and Deanna Packer Tran with the couple's kids.

Mildred Deanna Packer Tran

Crime Scene, October 1996