Man wanted in 2 killings is found in Laos 8 years later

Wednesday, June 17, 2026

Myung Jin Kim, wanted for a 2016 murder-for-hire scheme and a 2018 fatal shooting in California, was captured in Laos and brought back to the U.S. to face felony charges. This case marks the first instance of a suspect being repatriated from Laos through a coordinated multi-agency effort, allowing prosecutors to move forward with charges in both cases.

After nearly eight years on the run, a South Korean national wanted in connection with two separate killings in California has been apprehended in Laos and returned to the United States to face felony charges.

Myung Jin Kim, 31, had been wanted for his alleged involvement in a botched murder-for-hire plot in San José in 2016 and the fatal shooting of a friend in Westminster in 2018. Investigators first linked Kim to the attempted murder-for-hire following a June 27, 2016, ambush in San José in which the intended target was mistakenly killed by the hired gunman. Police said the victim was shot inside his car after stopping in a residential area. The investigation later revealed that Kim had allegedly orchestrated the attack, but no arrest warrant was issued against him at that time.

Nearly two years later, on September 5, 2018, authorities said Kim fatally shot his 26-year-old friend, Christopher Kim, in a parking lot of a CVS in Westminster following a dispute over money. According to police, Kim fired six shots at the victim in front of his girlfriend and then fled on foot. The Orange County Police Department subsequently issued an arrest warrant for Kim on November 20, 2018.

San José police continued their investigation into the 2016 killing and obtained warrants accusing Kim of murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit murder on February 3, 2020. Despite the warrants, Kim avoided capture for years, reportedly fleeing the country.

In December 2025, a multi-agency effort involving the Westminster Police Department, FBI, San José police, Orange County, and Santa Clara County district attorneys' offices located Kim living in Laos. He was taken into custody there on charges related to immigration violations, including the use of fraudulent travel documents. U.S. officials coordinated with the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service to facilitate his return to the United States.

Kim was booked into the Anaheim Police Department jail on June 9, 2026, and subsequently transported to Santa Clara County the following day to face pending charges. Federal authorities noted that Kim is the first individual to be detained and repatriated from Laos to the United States through such an operation.

An FBI assistant director in Los Angeles highlighted the resolution of the lengthy search, stating that Kim’s "acts of violence finally caught up with him, despite being halfway across the globe." Prosecutors are preparing to pursue charges related to both the 2016 murder-for-hire plot and the 2018 killing.