March 27, 2027 at 1:15 p.m. (Today) PRESS CONFERENCE ALAMEDA COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT 5151 Gleason Drive, Dublin, CA 94568
On the late evening /early morning of September 6/7, 2022, Alameda County Deputy Sheriff Devin Williams shot and killed Maria and Benison Tran in their home in front of Benison and Maria’s son, Brendon Tran and Maria’s mother Kimanh Le. The shooting was not in the line of duty. Williams used his service revolver and had been charged with double murder, with enhancements, which would demand a sentence of life without parole. Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price ‘s office has announced that it will drop the enhancements/special circumstances charge and, as a result, Williams, if convicted, will be eligible for parole in 25 years. This will happen at 1:30 in Department 713 of the Dublin Branch of the Superior Court, 5151 Gleason Drive, Dublin, CA 94568.
The Families of Benison and Maria are outraged that the DA is reducing the charges. They will be present in front of the Superior Court at 1:15 to protest the DA’s decision. The Preliminary Hearing, where eyewitness testimony will be taken from Dalton Tran, Maria’s Brother, is expected to go through the afternoon and resume on Thursday March 28, 2024, also in Department 713.
The families’ attorney, Christopher Dolan, stated the following:
“This is a travesty of justice. The DA’s decision to drop the maximum penalty is an insult to the families of Benison and Maria. They will serve a life sentence, without parole. Williams gets to visit his loved ones and one day will be roaming the streets again. The Tran families will never again see or hold Benison or Maria. Brendon is now an orphan. District Attorney Price has charged, and prosecuted, enhancements/special circumstances in cased where members of law enforcement have been killed yet when a Deputy Sheriff commits murder in cold blood, he is given a reprieve.
Before Williams, was hired by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office he underwent pre-employment psychological profile which is reported to have found him “not suited,” and therefore ineligible to be given a gun and badge. He was hired anyways and, indeed, it is reported he used his service revolver to kill Maria and Benison.
The dismissal of the enhancements/special circumstances gives the strong appearance of a sweetheart deal with law enforcement, a force which DA Price has struggled to develop a good working relationship. If an officer is killed, special enhancements and life without parole. If an officer kills citizens, they are treated differently, more leniently. It is not equal justice under the law.”
A photograph of the demonstration along with a statement by Jennie Wong, Maria’s sister, the family spokesperson
Jenny Wong Statement:
I would like to first extend my sincere gratitude for allowing me to deliver a brief statement before proceeding. I am here to speak for my sister Maria Tran because she is not able to, because she was shot dead by Deputy Sherriff Williams. On behalf of Maria, myself, my nephew, the surviving child of Benison and Maria Tran, the Tran Family, and all the countless community members who have suffered by Mr. Williams’ murderous conduct, I hereby express extreme opposition to the District Attorney’s decision to drop the enhancement charges against Mr. Williams.
Mr. Williams used his privilege as an officer of the law to premeditate the murder of Benison and Maria. Yet he didn’t just murder my sister Maria, Mr. Williams executed her, point blank, with his service weapon given to him by the Alameda County Sherriff’s Department. He compounded the viciousness of his actions by committing this execution in the presumed safety of Maria’s own home, while her family members, including her mother and son, were present. They had to see the man who executed Maria in person, to hear those gunshots that ended Maria’s life, and to see her die before their eyes in a pool of blood. This was premeditated murder: an extraordinary act that calls for the strongest possible punishment. If any crime deserves enhanced penalty under the law, these murders do.
By dropping the enhancements, Mr. Williams has a chance of a life after a limited prison sentence. My mother and nephew are serving a life sentence, one forever plagued with the gruesome circumstances of Benison’s and Maria’s death. My mother, who saw her first-born daughter’s first breath, will be forever haunted by the indelible memory of holding Maria as she bled to death, being witness to her last breath. My nephew will also have to live with the memory of his two parents lying dead in his home, a cruel burden for the rest of his life. The impact on him, seeing both of his parents shot dead in the supposed safety of his own home, has left him forever traumatized, scarred, and orphaned. The psychological trauma is too great to put into words.
When Mr. Williams entered the home with his intent to kill, he was fully aware that our family members were present, and he decided to execute Benison and Maria in their presence. Not a day goes by when my mother or nephew doesn’t have to relive the events that occurred. I wake up every day thinking about Maria, who escaped Vietnam for a better life, who worked so hard to achieve the American dream, only to be stripped of everything, and everyone, she loved and be executed in her home. There is no reason, rationale or explanation which could justify Mr. Williams’ actions. He had no gun to his head like my sister did. Nothing forced him to be a cruel executioner, he chose to kill Maria and Benison, and leave their memory forever stained by his gruesome acts.
District Attorney Pamela Price’s reputation precedes her. She is not just soft on crime; she is weak when it comes to protecting our community. It is well known that she and the Police and Sherrif’s Department have had a strained relationship. We are left with the unpalatable impression that this action, dropping the enhancements, is a peace offering to law enforcement. She prides herself in creating a “Police Accountability Unit,” designed to restore public trust by holding law enforcement accountable for misconduct. Dropping the enhancements has not restored the public trust, and certainly not my family’s trust, it reeks of a sweetheart deal. The DA’s desire to improve her relations with Law Enforcement dishonors Maria, Benison, and their memories. We always thought America was a country in which justice would prevail. This is a shameful injustice. Shame on you District Attorney Price.
Your Honor, I am here in front of you today in hopes that everyone in this courtroom, as well as every constituent in Alameda County, can begin again the righteous pursuit of justice. My sister and Benison are dead, forever. We are turning to you to provide us with the justice that Maria and Benison deserve, the very justice that is currently being refused by District Attorney Pamela Price and her office. This is not a place or time for leniency. This was a crime perpetrated by a thug with a gun issued to him by the very people who were supposed to protect Maria and Benison, the Alameda County Sherrif’s Department. There are eyewitnesses who saw him kill Benison and Maria despite pleas made to “not shoot.” There was no mercy shown to Maria, Benison, my mother, or my nephew: there should be no leniency or mercy shown to Mr. Williams. The Court, in the interests of justice, should use all its influence to prevent this injustice.
Contact Christopher Dolan at 415-279-2604, chris@dolanlawfirm.com, for further details or comment.
