Bail denied for man in double homicide case

Jaidan Nguyen was denied bail in Harris County felony court on Monday following his extradition from Vietnam on capital murder charges.

Nguyen, 25, of Houston, and Polie Phan, 26, of Rosharon, face trial before 262nd District Court in the January slaying of two commercial marijuana farmers with ties to Oregon and the Houston area.

Video surveillance, cell phone data and Nguyen’s statements to law enforcement implicate him in the shooting deaths of James Martin III and Dana Ryssdal in the Heights, according to Jennifer Lawrence, who is prosecuting the case for the state Attorney General’s Office.

Judge Lori Chambers Gray found probable cause to hold Nguyen for trial and denied him bail, citing him as a likely flight risk given his recent history. A judge also refused bail for Phan, who appeared in Harris County felony court Friday.

Nguyen’s appointed defense attorney David Michael Ryan said his first priority was to get the death penalty off the table.

In Texas, the killing of multiple people in which someone “intentionally or knowingly causes the death of an individual” is sometimes a capital felony and is punishable by death, according to the Texas Penal Code.

Ryan said prosecutors may be able to indict his client, but they “absolutely do not” have enough to convict him.

“It’s way too soon to start talking about cooperation or plea bargains or anything like that,” Ryan said. “Again, they’re still getting evidence together.”

Kathy Vu, identified in court documents as Phan’s girlfriend, appeared in court in March to address a charge that she had tampered with evidence connected with the deaths of Martin and Ryssadal.

Nguyen’s next court date is in late October and Ryan said the evidence indicates his client was taking orders from his codefendants.

“From what I hear, what I see on this, it looks like my guy is doing what he’s told,” he said. “So that might work to his advantage.”