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9 Years After Unsolved Slaying, Family Still Offers Reward

News Channel 8 photo by PETER MASA

Dar Chanthavong says the family feels investigators are not putting much effort into the case.

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By STEPHEN THOMPSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 23, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - After his older brother was fatally shot in what appeared to be a random carjacking, Dar Chanthavong was too grief-stricken to join his family whenever they pleaded in front of television cameras for information in the killing.

Then last November, Chanthavong's mother, a nursing assistant who single-handedly raised $20,000 in reward money, died of brain cancer, less than two months after she was diagnosed.

Sompong Chanthavong was the family member who worked most furiously to see that her son's killer was brought to justice, sometimes haranguing investigators for their failure to do so.

Now her youngest son, Dar, has taken up the mantle.

"I never came on TV or spoke with anybody," said Dar, 28. "Since my mom passed, I'm ready to talk about it."

Nine years ago Tuesday, Dar's brother, Sonphet "Tim" Chanthavong, was killed, just moments after he had purchased a Christina Aguilera CD and slipped behind the wheel of his $40,000 Acura NSX.

It was June 24, 1999. Ten minutes after the purchase — and less than 10 blocks from Spec's Music, the store at 2855 66th St. N., where Chanthavong purchased the CD and which is now closed — Chanthavong, 22, turned up shot to death.

The car was spotted 12 minutes after that barreling around a corner at 53rd Avenue South and Seventh Street, where it hit a storm drain, blew a tire and struck an empty car, investigators said.

The Acura was discovered five blocks away, more than seven miles from where the body was discovered at 26th Avenue South and 60th Street, investigators said.

Initially, Dar Chanthavong said, his mother raised $5,000 and then raised an additional $15,000. Last year, the $20,000 reward was offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever killed Tim.

"We want to let people know the case is unsolved," said Dar, a business analyst for Bright House Networks. "I just want the public to know we have the $20,000 still out there."

In addition, Dar Chanthavong said, he is working to put the case on "America's Most Wanted," the Fox television show. And he expects to spend this year making plans for the 10-year anniversary of his brother's slaying. Among other things, he hopes to hold a charity volleyball tournament. His brother loved volleyball.

Dar Chanthavong said the family feels investigators are not putting much effort into the case. But Maj. Mike Puetz, who's in charge of the criminal investigation unit, says that's not true.

"We have gotten some leads during this past year that we believe are significant leads," Puetz said. "Obviously, we aren't commenting."

Puetz called the new information credible and significant, but it hasn't developed to a point that detectives can use it to file charges.

Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 451-2336 or spthompson@tampatrib.com.

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