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Cambodian genocide survivor, gynecologist, and refugee, Dr. Haing Ngor, who made a historic win at the 1995 Oscars for his role in The Killing Fields, was shot to death in an alley outside his Chinatown, Los Angeles, apartment in what was ruled as a robbery-gone-wrong.
Speculation by Ngor's family and supporters from the Cambodian community alleged that his death was an assassination executed by the Khmer Rouge regime and dictator Pol Pot. Later, three men from an Asian-American street gang named Oriental Lazy Boyz were convicted of the killing after an international investigation failed to link Ngor's death to Cambodia.
Refugee-turned-actor Dr. Haing Ngor's shooting death is set to feature in ID's People Magazine Investigates this Monday. The episode titled A Killing in Chinatown will air on the channel at 8:00 pm ET on July 3, 2023.
The official synopsis of the episode reads:
"Cambodian genocide survivor Dr Haing Ngor wins an Oscar for his role in 'The Killing Fields,' then he's gunned down outside his Los Angeles home, and the LAPD investigates a web of political intrigue, revenge and street gangs to uncover the truth."
Dr. Haing Ngor's career as an actor, his death, and more about the Cambodian genocide survivor
1) Ngor was one among millions who were victimized by the Cambodian genocide
Dr. Haing Ngor, a gynecologist, was one among millions who were victimized by the Cambodian genocide carried out by the Khmer Rouge under the leadership of dictator Pol Pot during the 70s. According to Vice, Ngor was tortured, imprisoned, and starved in labor camps until he escaped and crossed borders in 1979.
He then settled down in Chinatown in Los Angeles.
2) Dr. Haing Ngor was picked for his role in Killing Fields while he was working in Chinatown
Ngor did not have any prior acting experience when he was picked for the role of Dith Pran in the 1994 film The Killing Fields, a biographical drama depicting the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. Before being cast as Pran, he worked as a security guard in Los Angeles when he first arrived, following which he was employed as a caseworker for the refugees in a Chinatown Service Center.
It was during his job at the service center that he was cast for the film.
3) He became the first Asian actor to win in the Best Supporting Actor category at the Oscars
In 1995, Cambodian refugee-turned-actor Dr. Haing Ngor made history at the Oscars by becoming the first Asian actor to win an Academy Award in the Best Supporting Actor category. He bagged the award for his role in The Killing Fields.
The film was based on Ngor's personal experiences during the Khmer Rouge regime when he was incarcerated in prison camps. He was a bold critic of the regime and dictator Pol Pot and played the role of a Cambodian journalist.
4) Apart from being an actor, Dr. Haing Ngor was also a human rights advocate and wrote an autobiography
Following his Oscars victory, Ngor played notable roles in a few other films including 1993's Heaven and Earth directed by Oliver Stone, and My Life, which was released in the same year. He was also a human rights advocate and an outspoken critic of the Khmer Rouge, who helped organizations that aided Cambodian refugees.
He gave several lectures about human rights and also wrote an autobiography alongside Roger Warner, titled A Cambodian Odyssey, which was first published in 1987. It was later republished as Survival in the Killing Fields.
5) Ngor was shot to death outside his apartment in early 1996
Los Angeles Times reported that about a year after his historic win at the Oscars, Dr. Haing Ngor was shot to death outside his Chinatown apartment on February 25, 1996. He had just parked his Mercedes Benz when he was gunned down and witnesses reported seeing three men fleeing the scene of the crime.
Authorities later found the 55-year-old's car keys on the vehicle floor. They also discovered cash in his pants pocket and inside the pocket of the jacket found in the backseat.
The shooting was ruled as a robbery gone wrong when authorities failed to find his Rolex watch and a 24-karat gold locket with a picture of his deceased wife in his apartment. It was alleged that Ngor was shot when he refused to hand over the locket after willingly giving the suspects his watch.
Learn more about the case on ID's People Magazine Investigates this Monday at 8 pm ET.
