Closing arguments in brutal killing of 5 people in 2012

SAN FRANCISCO - Closing arguments are now underway in the trial of a man accused of brutally killing five people in San Francisco's Ingleside neighborhood in 2012.

Through blood and DNA evidence, Vietnamese citizen Binh Thai Luc was tied to the fatal beating, stabbing and choking of a family that lived on Howth street near SF City College.

Crime Scene Investigators have called it one of the most complicated and gruesome crime scenes in San Francisco history.

41 year old Binh Thai Luc appeared in court today with two very noticable black eyes, officials say he recently got into a scuffle with another inmate.

Prosecutor Eric Fleming called the killings of five members of the Lei family, who lived at 16 Howth Street, a slaughter.

He painted the accused killer as a chronic gambler who had just blown thousands of dollars at a San Bruno casino before heading to the Lei family home in March of 2012.

Luc was a longtime friend of 30 year old Vincent Lei. Police believe that by the time Vincent got home that night, Luc had already killed the rest of his family and was lying in wait for him.

The jury was shown graphic photos of the victims' bodies, Vincent's wife "YoYo", his father Hua Shun and mother Wan Yi Xu, who was beaten 21 times with a hammer.

Vincent's sister Jessie suffered a broken jaw and swallowed her own teeth, Vincent himself had a broken thyroid bone from being strangled. 

All victims had their wrists cut to the bone.

Investigators found extensive evidence of efforts to clean up the crime scene including pools of standing water from dismantled sink pipes, bottles of bleach, Windex, paint and shampoo, their contents splashed everywhere.

The defendant's blood was strewn throughout the crime scene, the victims' blood was found on Luc's clothing and in his car.

Luc is also being tried for burglary and robbery since prosecutors say he was found at a San Mateo hotel two days after the murders with nearly $7000 in cash.

However, Defense Attorney Mark Goldrosen says Luc got that cash from other sources and that he did not have the kind of extensive injuries that might be expected from a struggle with five people.
Instead, Goldrosen said Luc had a good relationship with Vincent and a well-paid job as a plumber's apprentice, leaving a motive for the killings unclear. 

Goldrosen argued that evidence ties Luc to the scene but not to the murders, implying that he helped clean up but didn't do the actual killing.

But under the law, the prosecution reminded the jury that an accomplice to murder is still guilty of murder.

Luc's status as an undocumented Vietnamese immigrant has not come without controversy.
The U.S tried to deport him in 2006 after his prison release from a robbery and assault sentence, but Vietnam refused to accept him