Cambodian national released on parole in Massachusetts after murder conviction arrested by ICE

A Cambodian national living in Massachusetts has been arrested by ICE after being released on parole after a murder conviction.

According to the Parole Board, on February 3, 1991, two masked men, 18-year-old Oeun Lam of Cambodia and his co-defendant, forced their way into the Nhor family residence in Lynn. Soth Nhor (age 46) and Cheang Ley Nhor (age 41) were home with their six children at the time. Lam and his co-defendant carried guns and attempted to rob the family. A struggle ensued when Nhor tried to protect his daughter. One of the intruders fired a shot, wounding Mr. Nhor and killing Mrs. Nhor. 

On May 13, 1993, in Essex Superior Court, Lam was convicted of murder in the first-degree. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. On that same date, a jury found Lam guilty of two counts of robbery and one count of armed assault in a dwelling. He received a life sentence to run concurrently with his first-degree murder. 

Lam became parole eligible following the Supreme Judicial Court’s decision in Commonwealth v. Mattis, 493 Mass. 216 (2024), where the court held that sentencing individuals who were ages 18 through 20 at the time of the offense (emerging adults) to life without the possibility of parole is unconstitutional. As a result of the SJC’s decision regarding Lam’s first- degree murder conviction, he was resentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 15 years.

Lam was recently released on parole to ICE custody last week.