Revisiting Haing Ngor's murder: 'Killing fields' theory won't die

Haing Ngor in the "Killing Fields" movie (Photo: AFP)

The Cambodian refugee and Oscar-winning actor was slain in Los Angeles in 1996. Gang members were convicted, but some still see a darker plot involving genocidal dictator Pol Pot.

January 21, 2010
By My-Thuan Tran
Los Angeles Times

On a rainy night nearly 14 years ago, Haing Ngor parked his gold Mercedes in a graffiti-lined alleyway behind his apartment on the edge of Chinatown.

The Cambodian refugee-turned-actor had won an Academy Award for his role in 1984's "The Killing Fields," but he still lived in a tiny apartment where he kept his Oscar next to a large Buddha statue.

As he stepped out of his car, gunshots echoed off the alley walls. A neighbor rushed outside to find Ngor slumped on the pavement of his carport. He was dead.

Please click here to read more...