A Utah man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing a 63-year-old grandmother, her infant grandchild, and a family friend.
In September 2015, Heike Poike and her 2-month-old granddaughter Lyrik Poike were discovered dead in a Salt Lake City, Utah home with Dakota Smith.
Alexander Hung Tran was instantly identified as a suspect. He was convicted of their murders on August 23, according to a statement released by the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office.
Tran was sentenced to three life terms without the possibility of parole on November 7, according to an update from the district attorney’s office.
The investigation began on September 18, 2015, when Salt Lake law enforcement officers attended to the home after Heike failed to pick up her grandson from school, according to the DA’s office.
Police discovered the deaths of Heike, Lyrik, and Smith inside the house, while Tran was discovered in the basement.
The investigation discovered that Tran had let Heike’s daughter, named only as A.P., to stay in the house with her two children. Heike volunteered to help her with the children while she worked.
According to investigators, Tran acquired a “obsession” with A.P. when she lived there. He told her he wanted to marry her and have children together.
A.P. apparently responded, but only out of obligation after allowing her to stay with him. It was unclear what she had written in her reply.
Tran’s mother informed police that she did not approve of the renters living in the home she had purchased for him. She informed her son that she would be commencing the eviction process for A.P. and her family. She has not been recognized as a relevant party in the investigation.
Friends and relatives recalled Heike, Lyrik, and Smith affectionately in online obituaries posted shortly after their deaths.
“Dakota had a heart of gold, always willing to help anyone in need,” stated one section of Smith’s online obituary. “He faced many challenges in life but always wanted to do the right thing and make his Dad proud.”
“During her short life, she touched so many and had an infectious smile,” Lyrik’s loved ones wrote in the obituary, adding that she was her mother’s “little princess.”
Heike was recalled as a happy mother and grandmother who “loved to post pictures and share their accomplishments.”
