Ever wonder if Minnesota has been terrorized by a serial killer? Or perhaps Minnesota is where a serial killer calls home? This blog series will explore potential serial killers that either have roots in Minnesota or have been accused of preying on Minnesota residents. Part four covers Khoua Her.
Khoua Her was born on December 31, 1973, in Laos. By age 12, she had been raped in a Thai refugee camp and was married. The couple had six children: Kouaeai, Samson, Nali, Tang Lung, Aee, and Tang Ke, and moved to St. Paul, Minnesota—all before Khoua turned 21. Between 1996 and 1998, the police had reportedly been called to Khoua’s home at least 16 times for domestic incidents. By 1998, Khoua was estranged from her husband and living in poverty with her six children.
On September 3, 1998, Khoua called 911 and reported she had killed her children. When first responders arrived at Khoua’s apartment, they found Khoua lying inside the doorway in a ceremonial red dress with an extension cord tied around her neck. All six of Khoua’s children were scattered around the apartment, dead by strangulation. Kouaeai was 11, Samson was 9, Nali was 9, Tang Lung was 7, Aee was 6, and Tang Ke was 5.
On December 1, 1998, Khoua pleaded guilty to six counts of second-degree murder. She was sentenced to 50 years, with the possibility of parole in 33 years. At the sentencing hearing, Khoua said she was suicidal during the murders and worried about who would look after the children if she died. Her attorney said once she made the decision to kill herself, she called her children to her one at a time and strangled each one with a black piece of cloth. A woman who knew Khoua said she loved her children but was “depressed over the amount of responsibility she had.”
Khoua is currently an inmate at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Shakopee. She is 49 years old and has an anticipated release date of 2032, when she will be 59.
If you enjoyed this blog, make sure to catch up on this series by reading Part 1 – Paul Michael Stephani, Part 2 – Joseph Donald Ture, Jr., and Part 3 – David Francis Brom.