SANTA ROSA -- The murder of a 24-year-old Santa Rosa man in a parking lot at Blind Beach on the Sonoma County coast Sunday is related to a kidnapping and torture case in Santa Rosa in October, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department said Tuesday afternoon. Both crimes are gang related, authorities said.

Lt. Robert Giordano said murder victim Vutha Au, is the brother of Terry Au, who was allegedly kidnapped from his Santa Rosa home on Oct. 1 and tortured by three reputed members of the Asian Boyz gang.

Terry Au's abductors allegedly burned him with cigarettes and demanded $5,000 from his family, authorities said. Giordano said the cases are related and Vutha Au's murder appears to be gang retaliation.

Terry Au, 22, testified under the witness protection program at the preliminary hearing of the kidnapping for ransom defendants; Perry Khaoone, 23, his brother Pongsony Khaoone, 20, and 21-year-old Boonlak Phanchanh. Their trial is scheduled for May 16. Authorities have not said whether Vutha Au also was under witness protection.

The murder suspects are David Prak, 19, his brother Sarith Prak, 21, Preston Khaoone, 22, who is Perry and Pongsony's brother, and 24-year-old Quentin Russell.

All four are charged with gang-related murder and killing a witness to prevent him from testifying, a count punishable by the death penalty or life in prison without parole. The Praks and Khaoone did not enter pleas in Sonoma County Superior Court Tuesday and will return to court March 14.

Russell did not appear in Sonoma County Superior Court and will under go a mental health evaluation. That report is due March 6.

Giordano said Vutha Au was forcibly kidnapped from his Santa Rosa home in the suspects' vehicle not long before he was killed early Sunday morning. A State Parks ranger discovered his body around 1:15 a.m. An autopsy determined Au was shot nine times in the head, neck and torso from different angles.

The park ranger also gave the sheriff's department a description of a vehicle that sped away from the murder scene. The Praks, Khaoone and Russell were stopped by a sheriff's deputy on state Highway 116 at Crescent Avenue in Monte Rio. They were later arrested for conspiracy to commit murder and murder.

Giordano said Tuesday afternoon that a gun found Monday in brush along Highway 116 Monday is not believed to be the murder weapon.

The sheriff's department also found Vutha Au's silver 2006 Honda Accord Monday night in northwest Santa Rosa, Giordano said.