Condemned murderer of off-duty Houston police officer during family store robbery loses appeal

HOUSTON — The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has rejected an appeal from a Vietnamese refugee sent to death row for the slaying of a Houston police officer shot during a robbery while working his off hours as a clerk at his family's convenience store.

The state's highest criminal court Wednesday refused an appeal from 36-year-old Chuong Duong Tong as improper and dismissed it.

Tong was condemned for the 1997 death of 25-year-old Coung Huy "Tony" Trinh. His family also had fled Vietnam.

Evidence showed Trinh was shot between the eyes at close range after identifying himself as an officer. Tong contended the killing during the holdup was an accident.

Tong still has federal appeals he can pursue and does not have an execution date.

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