$50K reward offered as police search for man wanted in 2021 murder of Markham couple

A Canada-wide warrant is in place and a $50,000 reward is being offered to anyone who can help police track down Phuong Tan Nguyen, who is wanted for the murder of Markham couple Quoc Tran and Kristy Nguyen.

York Regional Police are offering a $50,000 reward to the public for information leading to the arrest of a man wanted in the double homicide of a Markham couple in 2021.

On Sept. 18, 2021, police said Quoc Tran and Kristy Nguyen were murdered in what investigators have deemed a targeted attack at a residence in Vaughan.

The couple was first reported missing, and Tran’s remains were later discovered at a landfill in Watford, Ont. A landfill in the U.S. has also been searched, but police say Nguyen’s body has not been found.

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In September 2021, police issued a Canada-wide arrest warrant for a 35-year-old man believed to be behind the couple’s murder. Investigators released photos of two suspects at the time, and thanks to tips from the public, police say the vehicle was located, and the driver was identified.


RELATED: Man wanted on separate first-degree murder charges in Markham couple’s deaths


On Oct. 1, 2021, officers were able to identify and arrest 36-year-old Recaldo Liburd of Vaughan, who has since been charged with two counts of accessory after the fact of murder. He remains in custody and will appear in court in July 2023.

Phuong Tan Nguyen of Toronto remains wanted on two charges of first-degree murder. Authorities say there is currently no information to suggest the suspect is related to one of the victims.

York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween speaks at a press conference on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023. Police say, Phuong Tan Nguyen, pictured, is wanted for the murders of a Markham couple in 2021. Photo: York police/YouTube.


Police say the suspect, described as 5-foot-9 and around 180 pounds, is considered armed and dangerous. Police believe he has left the GTA, and if spotted, witnesses are urged to contact police immediately.

Investigators believe that Phuong Tan Nguyen is believed to have boarded a plane to Mexico days after committing the two murders, but it’s unclear if he’s still there.

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“We are hopeful that this partnership with the BOLO Program, and the $50,000 reward, will increase our chances of locating Kristy and bring us closer to arresting this violent offender,” said York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween.

MacSween also read a statement on behalf of Kristy Nguyen’s family, saying it’s challenging to speak about the woman in the past tense as it is hard to believe that she is dead.

“How could it be that our beautiful, reliable, smart, ambitious Kristy is no longer here? How could it be that somebody chose this for her?”

The family statement continues by saying Kristy’s murder has affected them “in immeasurable ways.”

“Kristy wanted to be a lawyer. She wanted to get married in 2021. On Sept. 18, 2021, all of the remarkable things that Kristy was, and all of the remarkable things she would have been, was stolen from us,” the statement read.