Refugee Is Cleared of Murder; to Remain in Mental Hospital

A 36-year-old Laotian refugee who set fire to his Van Nuys apartment in 1981, killing his sister-in-law and severely injuring his brother, was ordered Monday to be confined to a psychiatric hospital indefinitely.

In a two-phase hearing in Van Nuys Superior Court, the man, Chang In Chai Bounsoy, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the incident. At a sanity hearing, however, Judge James A. Albracht ruled that Bounsoy was not guilty because he was insane when he set the fire.

After reviewing psychiatric reports, Albracht ruled that Bounsoy remains mentally disturbed and a danger to society. The judge ordered him into the custody of the state Department of Mental Health for placement in a psychiatric hospital.

According to witnesses, Bounsoy, who was living with his brother’s family, inexplicably lashed out at the family on Nov. 1, 1981, dousing his brother and sister-in-law with gasoline and setting fire to the living room.

Neighbors Saved Children

He then ran outside and held the front door closed, trapping the family inside, court records show. Two neighbors who were visiting the apartment quenched the flames with a fire extinguisher and water and helped four of Bounsoy’s nieces and nephews escape through the bathroom window, according to court records.

Bounsoy will remain hospitalized until a court determines that his sanity has been restored and he is no longer a threat. He is eligible for a hearing on his release every six months but conceivably could remain hospitalized the rest of his life.

Under state law, a person convicted of a crime but later found not guilty by reason of insanity can be held in a mental institution as long as the maximum prison term prescribed for that crime. A second-degree murder conviction carries a sentence of 15 years to life in prison.

In exchange for Bounsoy’s guilty plea, prosecutors dropped two counts of attempted murder and one count of arson.

Bounsoy’s brother, Yiou Sechang, and a social worker who helped the family settle in the San Fernando Valley after their escape from Laos during the 1970s, speculate that Bounsoy may have broken down under the frustrations of refugee life.

Until the 1975 communist takeover in Laos, Bounsoy owned a watch-repair business and lived the life of a middle-class playboy, his brother said in a June interview. The family left everything behind when they fled Laos, Sechang said, and Bounsoy, who speaks no English, was unable to find work.

In 1981, Bounsoy was determined to be mentally incompetent to stand trial and has been confined to Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino since then.

His guilty plea came after psychiatrists reported that he was able to understand the court proceedings, although they said he remains severely depressed and is still considered mentally ill.