Qui Tu Truong: Accused Phoenix meat cleaver attacker gets 36 years

PHOENIX - Qui Tu Truong, the man accused of a violent meat cleaver attack in Phoenix against two others after a work dispute in March 2011, received his prison sentence Friday.

According to Maricopa County Attorney's Office, Truong was sentenced to 36 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections for attempted murder and aggravated assault charges.

He will be eligible for release after serving 85-percent of his sentence with credit for time served, a news release states.

The attack called for stricter sentences for violent crimes, a case that Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery states says he looks forward to reviewing with legislators.

Truong was indicted one on count of attempted first degree murder, three counts of aggravated assault and one count of burglary two weeks after the attack, MCAO says.

On Oct 2, 2012, Truong pled guilty to one count of attempted murder and one count of aggravated assault.

Yen Ha, one of the victims, is now in a permanent vegetative state due to the severe head trauma she suffered during the meat cleaver attack. She had to have portions of her brain removed and isn't expected to fully recover.

Trong Nguyen, the victim's surrogate nephew, was also involved in the attack and is said to still suffer from the wounds to his head, arms and hands.

"While modern medical science allowed these victims to survive this savage assault, they remain permanently disabled with a greatly diminished quality of life. Yet their assailant will be eligible for release in less than 30 years because Arizona law currently makes no distinction between attempted murder or aggravated assault victims who suffer little to no actual physical harm and those who sustain serious or life-altering injuries," County Attorney Montgomery said in a news release.  "To address the shortcoming in our sentencing statutes, my office will work with the legislature to enact the Yen Enhancement, a proposed reform which will give judges the capability to hold these types of defendants justly accountable for the extreme harm they cause."

The proposed Yen Enhancement will allow authorities to increase a defendant's sentence and/or prevent the possibility of early release for class 2 and 3 felonies during which victims suffer serious injuries, MCAO states.