Chef's killer must serve 50 years

Advertiser Staff

The man convicted of fatally stabbing Sheraton Waikiki executive sous chef Tom Matsuda in December 2000 must serve at least 50 years of his life term before he is eligible for parole, the Hawaii Paroling Authority has ruled.

Tam Van Huynh, 43, claimed at trial that he was under extreme mental or emotional distress when he stabbed the popular chef following a quarrel over a one-hour change in Huynh's schedule.

But the prosecution maintained that Huynh had a history of violent outbursts while working as a kitchen helper at the hotel and simply stabbed Matsuda, his boss, because Matsuda would not give in to Huynh's demands to change his schedule back.

Matsuda, 49, had urged the hotel's managers on prior occasions not to fire Huynh, but to send him to an anger management class.

Huynh was convicted of second-degree murder.