Acquitted of murder last August, one Lam sister has died

Ottawa police at a home on Bowmount Street on Oct. 31, 2022. Kieu Lam was found dead inside the home and two daughters were charged with first-degree murder before being acquitted by a jury in August 2025. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

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One of the two sisters charged and acquitted in the 2022 killing of their elderly mother has herself passed away.

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Hue Ai Lam died April 28, defence lawyer Paolo Giancaterino confirmed to the Ottawa Citizen on Saturday.

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In an interview, Giancaterino said Lam died from complications of Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), which was diagnosed during the 2025 trial, adding that she was previously misdiagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

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“We’re still in touch with (sister Chau Kahn Lam),” he said. “And I actually went to see her yesterday to bring her flowers.”

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The Lam sisters were charged with first-degree murder in the death of their mother, Kieu Lam, in October 2022. They pleaded not guilty and last August, nearly three years later, a jury later found them not guilty.

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Giancaterino said he was glad Hue Ai Lam did not pass away in custody.

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MSA is a neurodegenerative disease that causes people to lose co-ordination and balance. It can also cause changes in speech and loss of control of other body parts. It sometimes has similar symptoms to Parkinson’s disease.

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“It’s easy to conflate the two because they’re very similar in terms of what the effects are,” Giancaterino said.

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Giancaterino said he had notified the Crown attorney of Hue Ai Lam’s death.

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“Once they’re satisfied confirming the death, they will abandon the appeal against her,” he said.

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He said he believed the appeal of the acquittal of Chau Kahn Lam would proceed.

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