San Diego Gaslamp

Closing Arguments Begin In Fatal Drugging, Sex Assault Case

SAN DIEGO -- A San Diego medical student plied an already intoxicated Orange County resident with drugs, then sexually assaulted and killed him, a prosecutor told jurors Thursday in arguing for a murder conviction, but a defense attorney said her client woke up in bed to find the victim dead next to him.

Closing arguments are scheduled to conclude Friday in the trial of Philong Huynh, who is charged with sexually assaulting and murdering 23-year-old Dane Williams in late January 2008 and sexually assaulting a 20-year-old Navy Corpsman who came forward a year after Williams' death.

The charges include a special circumstance allegation of murder during sodomy or oral copulation.

Deputy District Attorney David Hendren told a jury that Williams -- a Huntington Beach resident who was in San Diego for a trade show -- had a little too much to drink on Jan. 26, 2008, making him vulnerable to a "predator" like Huynh.

Hendren said Huynh, 40, acted like a "wolf in sheep's clothing" by giving Williams benzodiazepine -- a central nervous system depressant -- rendering the victim unable to fight off a sexual assault.

William's mother took the witness stand earlier in the trial, and she said she knew something was wrong when she hadn't heard from her son.

"I knew something happened," said Valen Williams.

Williams' body was found three days later in an alley two blocks from the City Heights home Huynh shared with his mother.

The prosecutor said Williams, the Navy Corpsman and four other men who testified at the trial were heterosexuals who fell victim to Huynh's con game between 2007 and 2009.

Hendren said Huynh would meet young, good-looking straight men, gain their trust by talking about women, then offer to buy them drinks and take them to strip clubs in Mexico.

"The pattern is uncanny," the prosecutor said.

Once he got the victims alone, Huynh would slip them a depressant to knock them out, making them "basically unconscious," he said.

"When you're taking someone's system down so much that it goes to unconscious, it doesn't take a whole lot more to go to death," said Hendren.

Jeremiah R., the Navy Corpsman, said he felt disoriented for five days after being drugged and sexually assaulted by Huynh, the prosecutor said.

Jeremiah testified he met an Asian man named "Phillip" in the Gaslamp Quarter in June 2009 and went with him to explore the beaches of San Diego.

Rock Bottom Brewery San Diego- Gaslamp District BarsFromLastNight ...

I was recently down in San Diego for the weekend and after taking in a Padre game I ended my night at the Rock Bottom . This bar was extremely fitting because I was pretty smashed by the end of the night.

The restaurant and bar had a pretty nice set up. It had the usual higher end brewery style look and feel. After taking a seat at the bar looking for a good beer I soon realized that I had come to the right place. I had the house IPA which was surprisingly good for being more of a chain establishment. I also ordered the buffalo wings and the nachos and yes I was there with two other people so this much food was acceptable. Both were really good and the wings were kickin’.

After the first IPA, I had there pale ale which wasn’t as good as their IPA but it was still enjoyable. There was a good amount of people at Rock Bottom Brewery and they were all pretty chill. No one was snooty or a tool which is one of the things I really like about the Gaslamp quarter. If I am back in this area, which is probably pretty likely, I would stop in for another drink.

Drinks 3.

Good morning san Diego...thank you for the sun and magical moments of life.... (@ Gaslamp Quarter Historic District)

no city is quite like Vegas, San Diego has its charm, especially around the Gaslamp District, have Fun you beautiful you!

Seersucker in San Diego Gaslamp Quarter. Probably the coolest restaurant I've been in my life...this is awesome :)

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Finally arrived in SD! Woot woot! (@ San Diego Marriott Gaslamp Quarter w/ 2 others)

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