Family speaks out as court records shed light on London murder accused's criminal past
Dale Carruthers & Jonathan Juha
Samnang Kong, 38, was charged second-degree murder after Issara Norindr, 55, was found dead inside Kong's second-floor apartment at 165 Connaught Ave. on Monday, May 13, 2019. (Facebook photo)
The Londoner charged with second-degree murder after a man was found stabbed to death inside his east-end apartment has past criminal convictions and an upcoming trial for aggravated assault, court records obtained by The Free Press show.
Police officers called to a second-floor apartment at 165 Connaught Ave. for reports of an unresponsive man found the body of Issara Norindr, 55, with "obvious trauma" in the unit on Monday, police said.
Samnang Kong, 38, in whose apartment the body was found, is charged with second-degree murder in the city's third homicide of the year.
An autopsy revealed Norindr died from stab wounds, police said Wednesday.
"A weapon was located at the scene," Const. Sandasha Bough said.
A London police investigator is seen in a white biohazard suit before entering a second-floor apartment at 165 Connaught Ave., where a body was found Monday afternoon. Samnang Kong, 38, in whose apartment the body was found, is charged with second-degree murder in the city's third homicide of the year. Photo taken on Wednesday May 15, 2019. JONATHAN JUHA/THE LONDON FREE PRESS
This isn't Kong's first brush with the law. He was sentenced to nine months in jail after being convicted of robbery and uttering threats in 2001, court records show.
Most recently, Kong was charged with aggravated assault after a man was attacked on April 16, 2017. The case goes to trial on Oct. 15, the documents show.
Kong's neighbours at 165 Connaught Ave. say they knew little about the man, saying they believed he lived alone and that he received visits from his brother, who lives in the building next door.
The brother, who didn't provide his name, spoke with The Free Press Wednesday. He said that he hadn't seen his sibling in weeks and doesn't know Norindr.
"My mom is hurt," he said of the fallout from his brother's second-degree murder charge, declining to answer any other questions.
Several neighbours reported hearing a fight in Kong's apartment shortly before a heavy police presence descended on the three-storey walk-up just after 4:30 p.m. Monday.
One second-floor resident said she heard a woman yelling – "He has no pulse" – before officers arrived.
Another resident, who identified herself as Samantha, has told The Free Press she called 911 after hearing a woman yelling that "someone had killed her friend."
Samantha described looking in and seeing blood all over the floor of Kong's apartment, saying the scene looked "like a horror house."
Police remained on the scene for a third day Wednesday. A single officer was stationed outside Kong's unit, while two forensic investigators in white biohazard suits collected evidence inside.
Kong appeared in court Tuesday and was remanded to custody until his next appearance on May 28.
jjuha@postmedia.com
dcarruthers@postmedia.com
Mother Nature wants to mess with your long weekend plans Female officer punched during arrest of man wanted for sexual assault:...