A 47-year-old Virginia man, Huy “Max” Nguyen, will spend decades behind bars for the 2024 murder of his girlfriend, 38-year-old Alison LaPorta, a mother of two. Prosecutors claimed that the man told more than 400 lies regarding the shooting, claiming that Laporta was a victim of random gunfire or that she shot herself.
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As reported by NBC4, Nguyen was found guilty of second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony on Monday, September 22.
“Kate should still be with us today,” Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano. “Max Nguyen’s needless actions stole a daughter from her parents and a mother from her children. I’m relieved that his attempts to lie about what happened to Kate did not allow him to escape accountability.”
“I hope that this conviction can bring some measure of closure to Kate’s family.”
Nguyen will be sentenced in February 2026. He faces up to 40 years in prison.
Fatal Shooting
According to the Fairfax County Police Department, the incident occurred back on April 17, 2024. FCPD officers responded to Mount Vernon Hospital after Huy Nguyen brought Alison LaPorta, who had suffered a gunshot wound to her upper body. She was pronounced deceased after she was taken to Fairfax Hospital.
Initially, Nguyen told the police that LaPorta had been shot as a result of a random shooting. It had occurred while they were at a parking lot in Annandale. However, as reported by Law & Crime, Nguyen would later change his story. He then claimed that LaPorta had attempted to shoot him, only to then turn the gun on herself.
On top of that, Nguyen’s lawyers introduced hundreds of LaPorta’s medical records. A forensic psychologist told jurors that the woman had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. This, according to a forensic psychologist, increased her risk of death by suicide.
In total, prosecutors counted more than 400 lies told by Nguyen, all stemming from an ever-changing story. However, witnesses testified in court that they heard Nguyen threatening to shoot LaPorta earlier in the day.
Eventually, the evidence was clear: the bullet trajectory and a photo of the gun’s imprint in his seatbelt showed that the 47-year-old man shot and killed LaPorta, WUSA9 reported.
A Grieving Family
While Nguyen has been convicted, nothing will bring solace to a heartbroken family. LaPorta’s father, Tim Pounsberry, expressed this very sentiment.
“That didn’t heal anything, you know. He’s going to jail, but I still don’t have my daughter,” Pounsberry told NBC4. “She was a mom of two, my mom was close, she was close to her grandmother, she loved her kids, she loved her friends, she loved herself. She wanted to be here on earth.”
One of LaPorta’s children, Katlin Lasky, agreed with her grandfather, saying, “Even with everything that’s happened today, I’m still never getting her back. She’s gone, and no matter how many convictions, it’s never gonna bring her back.”