Posted on: Tuesday, January 13, 2004

Woman gets probation in girl's death

Advertiser Staff

A Honolulu woman was sentenced to five years' probation yesterday in connection with the April 1989 death of her 3-year-old daughter.

Hao Dang pleaded guilty in June to a reduced charge of manslaughter for failing to obtain adequate medical care in the hours leading up to the death of her daughter, Melissa.

Dang had agreed to testify against her ex-husband, Chau Dang, 48, of Houston, at his trial in November and did so, but a Circuit Court jury acquitted Chau Dang of second-degree murder.

The prosecution maintained that Chau Dang punched the girl in the stomach, rupturing her intestine, resulting in a massive internal infection.

The defense, however, said Chau Dang was not home when the girl was struck and suggested any number of other people could have caused the fatal blow.