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81-553: Mak and Benjamin Ng were both given life imprisonment , after Mak's initial death sentence was overturned in 1988, while Tony Ng received a 30-year sentence, serving 28 years before he was released and deported to his native Hong Kong in 2014. It remains the deadliest mass murder in the history of Washington State. The Louisa Hotel was built in 1909. Paul Woo purchased the building in 1963 for US$ 160,000 (equivalent to $ 1,590,000 in 2023). Both before and after that purchase, it functioned as

162-528: A single room occupancy hotel (SRO) with street-level spaces for shops and restaurants until 1970, when tightened building codes led to the closure of the SRO portion. Two nightclubs operated illegally in the basement space of the hotel by the 1920s. The one in the western half, entered from Maynard Alley South, was originally named Blue Heaven. At its height, patrons of many ethnic backgrounds visited to partake in gambling , dancing and other forms of entertainment. By

243-399: A chance of parole for nonviolent offenses. Of those prisoners, 80 percent are behind bars for drug-related convictions: 65 percent are African-American, 18 percent are Latino, and 16 percent are white. The ACLU has called the statistics proof of "extreme racial disparities." Some of the crimes that led to life sentences include stealing gas from a truck and shoplifting but only for those with

324-425: A chance of parole, an imposing amount of precedent has developed based upon it. After Furman v. Georgia , the constitutionality of life imprisonment without parole as an alternative to the death penalty received increased attention from lawmakers and judges. Such penalties predate Schick . One early American case was Ex parte Wells (1856); Wells was convicted of murder in 1851 and sentenced to be hanged. On

405-465: A chance of parole. In 1993, the Times survey found, about 20 percent of all lifers had no chance of parole. By 2004, that had risen to 28 percent. As a result, the U.S. is currently housing by far the world's largest and most permanent population of prisoners who are guaranteed to die behind bars. The next closest country was Kenya, with only about 3,700 prisoners serving life without parole as of 2016. At

486-546: A face-down prone position , which decreases the risk of the restrained person kicking nearby people or objects, or hurting themselves by pounding their heads against nearby objects, but which also increases the risk of positional restraint asphyxia (a restraint-specific form of positional asphyxia ). Hogtying, also called the prone maximal restraint position or the hobble position , may make it somewhat more difficult for some people to breathe, especially after physical activity. Frequently, hog-tying has been performed on

567-460: A goal to work against life imprisonment and improve the rate of release. For example, the #DropLWOP campaign is dedicated to dropping the life without parole sentence and providing an automatic commutation and chance to see a parole board for all prisoners serving life sentences. Life imprisonment in Canada Hogtie The hogtie is a method of tying the limbs together, rendering

648-498: A life without parole sentence for a juvenile in a non-homicide case, the U.S. Supreme Court stated that "the overwhelming weight of international opinion against" juvenile life without a chance of parole "provide[s] respected and significant confirmation for our own conclusions". In 2012, in the Case of Miller v. Alabama , the Court considered whether to ban the automatic use of it completely as

729-475: A life without parole sentence is imposed, executive branch government officials (usually the state governor ) may have the power to grant a pardon , or to commute a sentence to time served, effectively ending the sentence early. Many U.S. states offer parole after a decade or more has passed, but in California , people sentenced to life imprisonment can normally apply for parole after seven years. Florida leads

810-410: A new trial but allowed prosecutors to hold a new sentencing hearing. On February 15, 2002, a King County Superior Court judge scheduled a sentencing hearing for September 2002. On April 29, 2002, a King County Superior Court judge ruled that Mak will not face execution since the 1983 jury wasn't asked to determine how much of a role he had in the crime. Mak was resentenced to life without parole. Tony Ng

891-402: A part in the planning of the crime. At his trial, the defense argued that Ng "had no reason in the world to [participate in the robbery]" and drew a contrast between the "homicidal maniacs" Mak and Benjamin Ng and his client, characterized as quiet, shy, and passive. The prosecution countered by asking why Mak and Benjamin Ng would "drag an unwilling witness into a crime that had as a central facet

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972-413: A pattern of habitual criminal offenses. A large number of those imprisoned for life had no prior criminal history but were given the sentence because of the aggravated nature of their crimes. Under some controversial sentencing guidelines known as "three-strikes laws," existing both at state and federal level, a person who is convicted of an offense and who has one or two other previous serious convictions

1053-406: A person who has been violently resisting. Various mechanisms for sudden death while hogtied have been proposed, ranging from changes in chest movement from being handcuffed, to drug use, to pre-existing medical conditions such as obesity or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , to police and medical personnel using their body weight to compress both the chest and abdomen in the process of applying

1134-568: A possibility of parole for juveniles include Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, Dominica, Israel, Nigeria, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and the United States. Of these, only the U.S. currently has minors serving such sentences. The University of San Francisco School of Law 's Center for Law & Global Justice conducted international research on the use of

1215-412: A possibility of parole violates international standards of justice, as well as treaties to which the U.S. is a party. Each state must ensure that its criminal punishments comply with the United States' international treaty obligations: The United Nations General Assembly has called upon governments to: "abolish by law, as soon as possible...life imprisonment without possibility of release for those below

1296-426: A preliminary trial date for both Benjamin and Mak for April 20, but they were tried separately because the defense believed Mak would blame Ng. Tony was named the third suspect, charged in absentia on March 30, 1983, with thirteen counts of aggravated first-degree murder. On August 25, 1983, Benjamin was convicted on the thirteen counts of aggravated first-degree murder after two to three hours of deliberation and

1377-507: A second conviction of armed robbery, kidnapping, or rape and other serious violent felonies under Georgia's seven-deadly-sins law . Life imprisonment is a possibility for aggravated mayhem and torture in California. Life imprisonment is mandatory for kidnapping in Nebraska . Other specifics about life sentences in the United States continue to vary widely by individual states. In addition,

1458-495: A sentence for minors. The Court had already judged the death penalty unconstitutional for minors in 2005. In June 2012, the Court ruled that it could never be automatically used as a sentence for a minor (under 18), although the Court left room for it as a sentence that can eventually be given (for now) in certain first-degree murder cases once the judge has taken mitigating circumstances and other factors into account. The U.S. practice of sentencing juveniles to life imprisonment without

1539-420: A sentence of "life without the possibility of parole" or "life without parole" (LWOP) is called a "determinate life sentence". West Virginia uses the unique terms "life with mercy" and "life without mercy", respectively, for these two categories. The first category are "indeterminate" in that the true length of each prisoner's sentence is not determined up front by the sentencing court, but will depend upon when

1620-400: Is quashed, or compassionate release is granted. In several states, such as Illinois , Iowa , Louisiana , Maine , North Carolina , Pennsylvania , Florida , Nebraska , South Dakota , Arkansas , Washington , Arizona , South Carolina , Indiana and Colorado , all life sentences are issued without the possibility of parole. Over 3,200 people nationwide are serving life terms without

1701-416: Is to serve a mandatory or discretionary life sentence in prison, with or without parole depending on the jurisdiction. Notably, a broad range of crimes ranging from petty theft to murder could serve as the trigger for a mandatory or discretionary life sentence in California from 1994 to 2012 . Notably, the U.S. Supreme Court has on several occasions upheld lengthy sentences for petty theft including life with

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1782-595: The District of Columbia have completely banned life without parole sentences for all juvenile offenders while five states have not banned the sentence but do not have any juvenile offenders serving life without parole. In January 2024, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in Commonwealth vs. Sheldon Mattis that life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for defendants under

1863-649: The Hop Sing Tong . and worked at the same restaurant in Blaine in 1981. Both were also suspects in prior crimes, including the killing of two Chinese women in Beacon Hill on July 16, 1982. Ng was also known to have shot and injured a teenager named Michael Chinn in 1981, after the victim had confronted Ng about him slashing the tires of his car. Tony Ng (no relation to Benjamin Ng), who had also attended Cleveland High School with them,

1944-520: The Louisiana State Penitentiary , for instance, more than 3,000 of the 5,100 prisoners are serving life with a chance of parole, and most of the remaining 2,100 are serving sentences so long that they cannot be completed in a typical lifetime. About 150 inmates have died there in the time period between the years of 2000 and 2005. The United States holds 40% of the world's prisoners with life sentences, more than in any other country. Under

2025-508: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , acting on a tip made to Seattle police. At the time, Tony was working as an electronics assembly technician under the alias Jim Wong, living with a roommate who was unaware of his fugitive status; police suspected he had been partially supported by his family. His extradition to the U.S. was blocked by his Canadian lawyer until American authorities dropped the charges that could have resulted in

2106-451: The death penalty . On February 24, 1983, Mak and Benjamin were charged with thirteen counts of aggravated first-degree murder and one count of first degree assault . Benjamin was represented by Seattle defense lawyer John Henry Browne . Mak was represented by the associated counsel for the accused, lawyers Jim Robinson and Don Madsen. The State was represented by William Downing and Robert Lasnik . On March 22, Judge Frank D. Howard set

2187-476: The 1950s, the club had been renamed to Wah Mee ( 華美 ; 'Beautiful China'), known for high-stakes gaming. The Wah Mee operated illegally, as contemporary local blue laws required clubs to close before midnight; it was raided by police in 1972. By the 1980s, the Wah Mee had gained a much seedier reputation as a dive bar . Regulars at the Wah Mee included many wealthy restaurant owners, several of whom were among

2268-537: The Asian community to forgive the fact that I caused pain.   — Tony Ng, Northwest Asian Weekly , December 2009 On September 6, 2006, a parole board met to determine whether Tony Ng should receive parole on his 12th robbery term. If given parole, he would begin serving his 13th term, with the potential to be eligible for parole and freed in 2010. Both former King County Prosecuting Attorney Norm Maleng and former Seattle Police Chief Patrick Fitzsimons asked

2349-529: The Bing Kung. Chin, the sole survivor of the massacre, made a full recovery despite an early medical setback and possible assassination threats that forced prosecutors to depose him on videotape prior to the trials. He died in May 1993, aged 71. The Louisa Hotel continued to host street-level businesses until a fire on Christmas Eve 2013 destroyed the top floor and interior of the building. The Woo family, who still owned

2430-485: The Democratic Party, expressed their emphasis on replacing the death penalty with life without parole. Additionally, seeking the death penalty is more costly to the state and taxpayer than seeking life without parole. A common argument against life without parole is that it is equally as immoral as the death penalty, as it still sentences one to die in prison. Certain organizations and campaigns have been founded with

2511-520: The District of Columbia, including states without the death penalty, and as one or the only alternative sentence in states that have the death penalty and in federal and military courts. Life imprisonment is also a mandatory punishment in Idaho for aircraft hijacking , New York for terrorism , Florida for capital sexual battery (sexual abuse of a child under 12 that causes injury to the child), and Georgia for

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2592-518: The Hop Sing, an allegation which Chu denied. According to Mak's testimony, Benjamin Ng and his companion were independently robbing the patrons and Mak left before any shooting occurred, but he heard "snapping sounds" as he left. In addition, Mak's lawyer argued that Benjamin Ng was the shooter at the Wah Mee by blaming Ng for the unsolved murder of Franklin Leach, aged 71, in 1981. According to Jim Robinson, Leach

2673-510: The Ng family's restaurant, if Ng went to the police. Security at the Wah Mee was based in part on a system of passing through two sets of locked doors, which had been used in similar Chinatown gambling dens for generations and had usually been quite effective. The security office at the front of the club had four rows of opaque glass blocks; one block facing the vestibule was transparent so the security guard on duty could identify patrons and staff. The outer set of doors could only be unlocked from

2754-507: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that sentencing minors to automatic sentences of life without a chance of parole for crimes other than those involving a homicide (generally, first-degree murder, and usually with aggravating factors or accompanying felonies) violated the Eighth Amendment 's ban on " cruel and unusual punishments ", in the case of Graham v. Florida . In finding that the U.S. Constitution prohibits as cruel and unusual punishment

2835-409: The U.S. were imprisoned for life as of 2012 . American case law and penology literature divides life sentences into "determinate life sentences" or "indeterminate life sentences". The latter indicates the possibility of an abridged sentence, usually through the process of parole . For example, a sentence of "15 years to life" or "25 years to life" is called an "indeterminate life sentence", while

2916-462: The age of 18 years at the time of the commission of the offense". International standards of justice hold that a juvenile life imprisonment without a possibility of parole is not warranted under any circumstances because juvenile offenders lack the experience, education, intelligence and mental development of adults and must be given a reasonable opportunity to obtain release based on demonstrated maturity and rehabilitation. By May 2023, 28 states and

2997-614: The age of 21 was prohibited cruel and unusual punishment under the Constitution of Massachusetts . This decision made Massachusetts the first U.S. state with such a rule. Although sentences vary for each state, life imprisonment is generally mandatory for first-degree murder , particularly if it is done during the commission of another felony (the felony murder rule ), or there are other aggravating circumstances present (such as rapes before such murders or for murder of any law enforcement official or other public servant) in all 50 states and

3078-727: The building, decided to demolish the fire-damaged portion (which included all of the former Wah Mee space) while retaining as much of the building as possible to preserve its contribution to the Chinatown Historic District. Demolition work was completed in April 2015. Reconstruction began February 12, 2018, with a blessing by Buddhist monks and a procession. The building reopened June 2019, with eighty-five rental apartments plus street-level retail and restaurant space. All 13 victims, twelve men and one woman, were of Cantonese -speaking Chinese origin, most from Hong Kong or Taishan . Four of

3159-441: The club's lower level. At the time, there were ten other patrons and staff present besides the three gunmen. Approximately ten minutes later, either Benjamin or Mak entered the club; Mak stood on the club's upper level with a drawn gun, supervising Benjamin and Tony as they methodically hogtied each victim's hands and feet with rope, laying them on their stomachs before proceeding to rob the victims of their wallets and money. While

3240-483: The country with nearly one quarter of its LWOP prisoners, more than California, New York and Texas combined. In the 1860s, reformation became favored over penitence in American penology , with the role of prisons seen as reforming prisoners, who were imprisoned until reform was achieved. The concepts of parole and indeterminate sentencing were regarded as forward-looking in the 1870s. The initial concept of parole came from

3321-503: The custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation proceedings. He was deported to Hong Kong on May 13, 2014. Life imprisonment in the United States In the United States, life imprisonment is the most severe punishment provided by law in states with no valid capital punishment statute, and second-most in those with a valid statute. According to a 2013 study, one of every 2,000 prison inhabitants of

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3402-498: The day of his execution, President Millard Fillmore gave him a conditional pardon commuting his sentence to "imprisonment for life in the penitentiary at Washington." Wells appealed the conditions of his pardon, but the sentence was upheld with no discussion by the majority of the purpose of the substituted punishment. A few countries worldwide have allowed for minors to be given lifetime sentences that have no provision for eventual release. Countries that allow life imprisonment without

3483-865: The dead, 48-year-old John S. Loui, 54-year-old Hung Fat Gee, 52-year-old Henning G. Chinn and 54-year-old Gim Lun Wong, were employees at the Wah Mee (manager, cook/waiter and doormen respectively). The remaining eight were patrons, identified as 52-year-old restaurateur Moo Min Mar, 47-year-old Jean Bick Chinn, 60-year-old retired postal worker Jack Mar, 68-year-old Kokusai Theater projectionist Dewey Mar, 59-year-old line cook and former U.S. Army sergeant Wing Wong, 60-year-old fisherman and cook Lung Wing Chin, 51-year-old car repair shop owner and part-time employee Chin Lee Law, 47-year-old chef George Mar, and 55-year-old cook and legionnaire of Cathay Post 186 Chong L. Chin. Besides Moo Min Mar and Jean Chinn, who were husband and wife, none of

3564-489: The death penalty and would have raised the possibility of parole. The defense had contended that although Benjamin Ng had participated in planning the robbery, he did not plan to murder the victims to silence potential witnesses. The jury concluded that Ng had killed in furtherance of the robbery, justifying the aggravated murder enhancement. Ng was sentenced to a 15th life sentence in December 1983, after testimony accusing him of

3645-646: The elimination of all witnesses". In 1997, federal magistrate John Weinberg concluded that Ng did not receive a fair trial in 1985 and recommended either his release or a new trial. No action was required unless a U.S. District Court judge acted on his recommendation. I want the victims [of the Wah Mee Massacre] to forgive me for my participation on that night. It was a mistake, and I want to say I’m sorry. [...] I shouldn’t have hung around [Mak and Benjamin Ng] but I did. I wasn’t street-wise and didn’t know how to say no. I want

3726-540: The express condition that he "shall never have any rights, privileges, claims or benefits arising under the parole and suspension or remission of sentence laws of the United States." In 1971, Schick began a legal challenge against his whole life sentence. The appeal eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 1974. It examined the constitutional basis of the punishment: life imprisonment without parole. Had Schick been given an ordinary life sentence, he would have been eligible for parole in 1969. Although Schick's sentence

3807-452: The federal criminal code, however, with respect to offenses committed after December 1, 1987, parole has been abolished for all sentences handed down by the federal system, including life sentences. A life sentence from a federal court will therefore result in imprisonment for the life of the defendant unless a pardon or reprieve is granted by the President , if, upon appeal, the conviction

3888-479: The girlfriend's residence, where he had been sleeping. After obtaining a search warrant , the police returned later that afternoon to find $ 7,500 in cash, two loaded .38 caliber revolvers , an M-1 rifle and ammunition in the bedroom. Mak called and turned himself in to police hours later. Shortly after his arrest, he confessed that he had "shot them all", a statement he later repudiated. Police recovered more guns and cash from Mak's home on February 19, but none of

3969-440: The guns matched those used in the murders. An unidentified third man, who accompanied Mak to the surrender, was questioned and released. Two men, including Mak's older brother, were accused of destroying evidence of the crime; Mak had borrowed a car from one of the men the night of the massacre. Police identified Tony Ng as the third suspect and issued a federal warrant for his arrest on March 31, 1983. After speaking with his mother

4050-466: The head at least once. The buses come every day. Every day. It's not that I don't want it remembered so that it will never happen again. I just don't want it exploited like that. When there's a terrible murder somewhere else, you don't see a busload of Asians come out to look.   —  Donnie Chin , proprietor of the Sun May souvenir shop, quoted in 2008 Post-Intelligencer article Following

4131-536: The idea that prisoners began their path to rehabilitation during their sentence, and their successful rehabilitation could be recognizable by a parole board. The importance was placed on eradicating crime and having prisoners deemed ready to enter society as soon as possible. However, the ideals were not as successful as had been hoped. Crime was not eradicated, reformatories had the same problems as prisons on politicization and underfunding, and indeterminate sentencing became undermined by prisoners, who quickly found that it

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4212-433: The inside by the guard. Mak and his accomplices defeated the system only because they were known and trusted by the people at the club. During the initial investigation, police stated there were no signs of resistance from the victims; a spokesman said he "believe[d] they recognized [the killers]." Their presumed intent in killing all occupants was to leave no witnesses, since club patrons could have readily identified them — as

4293-430: The killing stating he had a sudden "uncontrollable urge to kill something quickly and quietly” and had chosen his victim "just because she was there." Schick was sentenced to death. Six years later, the case was forwarded to President Dwight Eisenhower for final review. He exercised his right of executive clemency to commute Schick's death sentence to confinement with hard labor for the term of his natural life, with

4374-506: The morning after the massacre, Tony fled to Canada upon learning that thirteen people had been killed. The Bing Kung Tong offered a US$ 60,000 (equivalent to $ 184,000 in 2023) reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction. On June 15, 1984, Tony became the 387th person to be listed on the FBI 's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. He was arrested October 4, 1984, in Calgary , Alberta , by

4455-504: The one survivor, dealer Wai Yok Chin, did. On the night of February 18, 1983, Chin arrived at approximately 11:50–11:55 PM for his regular shift as a pai gow dealer, which started at midnight. Shortly after his shift began, he saw either Mak or Benjamin (the identity varies depending on the source), both of whom he recognized as club patrons, enter with a man he did not know (later identified as Tony). Both Mak (or Benjamin) and Tony then drew their guns, ordering everyone to lie down on

4536-431: The parole board to deny parole on the 12th count. Relatives of the victims who came to the hearing expressed outrage that they were not made aware of previous parole hearings and that Tony Ng was so close to possible release because of it. Ng was denied parole in 2007, which meant he could not begin serving time on the final count. In December 2009, the parole of Tony Ng again came before the state parole board; relatives of

4617-406: The person and then connecting the hands and feet. The practice has been called inhumane . Typically, the person's feet are restrained with legcuffs or similar devices, and handcuffed with the hands behind the back. The feet are pulled behind the person, until the hands and feet can be connected. (The head and neck are left free. ) The restrained person is then placed on the stomach, in

4698-442: The possibility of parole and 50 years to life and stated that neither sentence conflicted with the ban on " cruel and unusual punishment " in the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution . These court decisions have been the subject of considerable controversy. Increased use of the life imprisonment sentence, especially life without parole, came in response to debates on capital punishment . In fact, many politicians, especially in

4779-442: The prisoner can convince the state parole board of their rehabilitation after serving the minimum number of years provided for in the sentence. The second category are "determinate" in that it is expressly determined by the sentencing court up front that the prisoner will never have the chance to see the parole board. This means that criminals given a determinate life sentence will typically die in prison, without ever being released. If

4860-400: The robbery was in progress, four more patrons arrived; they too were bound and robbed. Chin convinced Tony, who was tying his bonds, to loosen the rope, as there was "no need to tie so tight, I'm an old man". Once everyone was tied up, Chin heard and was struck by gunfire in the neck and jaw, and lapsed into unconsciousness. Tony testified at trial that although he had a gun, he never used it and

4941-502: The sentence of life imprisonment may also be given for "drug kingpins" and "habitual criminals". It has been applied in every state except Alaska, as well as in the federal courts. In Alaska, the maximum term of imprisonment is for 99 years without parole, which is considered to be de facto life imprisonment without parole. Over 200,000 people, or about 1 in 7 prisoners in the United States, were serving life or virtual life sentences in 2019. Over 50,000 prisoners are serving life without

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5022-462: The sentence of life without parole for juveniles, and has found no cases outside the U.S. in which the sentence is actually imposed on juveniles. As of 2009, Human Rights Watch has calculated that there are 2,589 youth offenders serving life without parole in the U.S. In the U.S, juvenile offenders started to get life without parole sentences more frequently in the 1990s due to John J. DiIulio Jr's. Teenage Superpredator Theory . In 2010, in

5103-513: The shooting, the doors to the Wah Mee were padlocked shut, and the contents were not disturbed after the police left. The club was never reopened, although the site was a popular stop for tour buses. A spokesman for the Hop Sing Tong denied the massacre was an act of war against the Bing Kung Tong; Mak and Benjamin Ng were both members of the Hop Sing, and most of the victims were members of

5184-425: The subject immobile and helpless. Originally, it was applied to pigs (hence the name) and other young four-legged animals. The hogtie when used on pigs and cattle has it where three of the four limbs are tied together, as tying all four together is difficult and can result in harm to the animal. When performed on a human, a hogtie is any position that results in the arms and legs being bound, both tied behind

5265-478: The trial began on September 12. The defense were expected to blame an unnamed individual who wished to gain control over illegal gambling operations in Chinatown. At his trial, Mak claimed that he had only gone to the Wah Mee to rough up a patron as retaliation for the beating of a senior Hop Sing Tong official. Mak, a member of the Hop Sing along with Benjamin Ng, claimed he was directed to do so by Roy Chu, president of

5346-488: The unrelated murder of Franklin E. Leach near Lake Washington on October 22, 1981, was introduced during Mak's trial. On October 6, 1983, Willie Mak was convicted of 13 counts of aggravated first degree murder and one count of first-degree assault and sentenced to death by hanging on October 22. On April 24, 1986, the Washington State Supreme Court upheld the verdict and death sentence. Jury selection for

5427-519: The victims again spoke before the board, urging against his release. In February 2010, a parole board unanimously decided "now is the time to parole Mr. [Tony] Ng to his final count." On October 24, 2013, Tony Ng was granted parole. Although the relatives of the victims continued to oppose the parole, he was released on October 25, 2013, from state prison directly to the Northwest detention center in Tacoma , into

5508-553: The victims were related. With the exception of Henning Chinn, all victims were members of the Bing Kung Tong . Chin was able to identify both Mak and Benjamin for the police; the identity of the third gunman was unknown to him. In the early morning of February 19, the Seattle police went to the home of Benjamin's brother, Stephen, who told them that Benjamin lived with his girlfriend in her parents' home. The police arrested Benjamin at

5589-519: The victims. Many of the victims were members of the Bing Kung Tong out of San Francisco . According to witnesses for the subsequent prosecution , Willie Mak had been planning the robbery for some time, discussing on multiple occasions his idea to rob a gambling club and kill the witnesses. He eventually enlisted the help of Benjamin Ng; both Ng and Mak were born in Guangdong Province , had previously attended Cleveland High School , were members of

5670-484: The weapons found in the bedroom of his girlfriend were a different caliber, but the prosecution asserted that .22 caliber shell casings recovered at the Wah Mee scene matched a gun that Ng once fired. During the trial, Ng's attorney conceded that he had participated in the robbery and was guilty of first-degree murder, but not aggravated first-degree murder; the distinction, had he been convicted of first-degree murder without aggravation, would have made him ineligible for

5751-423: Was able to find help from three patrons who had been buzzing to gain entry to the club. After the police arrived, they found twelve dead; one more victim, Wah Mee manager John Loui, subsequently died of his injuries at the hospital, and Chin was the sole survivor. According to the police, thirty-two shots were fired in total; twenty-six of those were fired from the same .22 caliber gun. Each victim had been shot in

5832-429: Was acquitted on April 19, 1985, of murder, but convicted of 13 counts of first-degree robbery and a single count of assault with a deadly weapon. Each robbery charge brought a minimum sentence of five years, some to be served consecutively. On July 3, 1985, Tony Ng was sentenced to 13 life terms, one for each count of first-degree robbery, which would mean a term of 35 years in total. The jury selection for Tony Ng's trial

5913-462: Was brought into the group as a "last-minute recruit". According to Tony's testimony at his 1985 trial, he owed Mak $ 1,000 after gambling with Mak the night before the massacre. Mak offered to forgive the debt if he would participate in a shakedown at the Wah Mee. The day before the robbery, Tony borrowed $ 1,000 to repay Mak; instead of accepting the money, Mak drew a gun, shot a bullet at Ng's feet, and threatened to kill Ng and his girlfriend, then destroy

5994-546: Was completed on April 4 after four days of proceedings. Tony Ng was represented at his trial by Mark Mestel and John Muenster. Defense attorneys questioned whether the 45-minute statement Ng gave to the RCMP upon his arrest in Calgary was admissible, as he had not been advised of his rights. Prior to the trial, prosecutors stated they would not seek the death penalty, as the earlier trials of Benjamin Ng and Mak showed that Tony Ng did not play

6075-426: Was delayed indefinitely by a federal judge. On January 8, 1991 U.S. District Judge William Dwyer overturned Willie Mak's death sentence, saying Mak's attorneys failed to present evidence on their client's background that could have saved his life. On July 16, 1992, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused to reinstate Mak's death sentence. On November 9, 1994, a King County Superior Court judge denied Mak's bid for

6156-477: Was forced to participate in the robbery under duress. According to Tony, Mak instructed him to take the money and leave after all the victims had been bound; he fled across the alley to the Hop Sing Club to wait for Mak and Benjamin. Tony further testified that he heard gunshots after he had already exited the Wah Mee. When Chin came to, he was able to loosen his ropes and staggered outside at 12:44 AM, where he

6237-553: Was given only cursory mention, the court concluded a whole life sentence was constitutional. Schick, together with only five other federal prisoners who were still ineligible for parole at the time, was made eligible for parole by a separate pardon from President Gerald Ford in 1976 or 1977, and he may have died a free man in Palm Beach , Florida, in 2004. Despite the Schick opinion's lack of thorough analysis on life imprisonment without

6318-409: Was possible to "beat the system" by pretense to get a better chance of winning parole. Many were soon back in custody. Similarly, prison authorities could twist it to their advantage by using those granted parole or probation to spy on and actively help to imprison other people, or sometimes by selectively denying parole. However, the biggest cause of the reformatories' failure to live up to expectations

6399-534: Was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on the next day. During the sentencing phase, Benjamin's mother testified on his behalf, stating the family had emigrated from Hong Kong in 1975; while still in Hong Kong, Benjamin had been beaten on the head repeatedly with a piece of wood, resulting in brain damage , as corroborated by medical experts. Jury selection for the trial began on August 9. Initially, Ng's defense claimed he did not shoot anyone, as

6480-525: Was shot when he jogged by Mak and Ng as they were dumping a stolen safe into Lake Washington. During the trial, prosecutors and police used hypnosis to change the testimony of a defense witness. On February 17, 1987 the Washington State Supreme Court issued a stay of execution a month before Willie Mak's scheduled execution, but on May 2, 1988 the State Supreme Court let Mak's murder conviction stand. However, on November 10, 1988, Willie Mak's execution

6561-497: Was that despite the enthusiasm of reformers and Zebulon Brockway 's call for an end to vengeance in criminal justice, those within the prison environment, both inmates and guards alike, continued to conceive of prison as a place of retribution. In 1954 (November 28), Master Sergeant Maurice L. Schick was convicted by military court-martial of the murder of nine-year-old Susan Rothschild at Camp Zama in Japan (Tokyo). The soldier admitted

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