Fortuneteller's deadly misfortune

(Tanya Nelson was found guilty of murder)
Ha “Jade” Smith was considered a skilled fortuneteller among the Veitnamese-American community.

The 52-year-old, however, did not forsee the deadly misfortune that would befall her when a lovelorn client consulted her.

Tanya Nelson, 45, had sought Smith’s services over a lost lover but could not acept the soothsayer’s advice.

Smith’s told Nelson to just get over it instead of trying to get her ex-lover back.
Tanya Nelson was found guilty of murder

This upset the Nelson so much that she plotted to drive across the country to kill her.

Nelson lured her accomplice, Phillipe Zamora, 55, into the murder scheme by promising to fix him up with gay sex partners.

On Tuesday, a California Superior Court jury found Nelson guilty Tuesday of murdering Smith and her daughter Anita Vo, 23, five years ago.

Prosecutors said Smith and her daughter were stabbed as many as 10 times and their faces and hands were covered in white paint, which may have been an attempt to cover up evidence, AP reported.

Zamora, who was a key witness against Nelson, pleaded guilty last year to two counts of first-degree murder and faces 50 years to life in prison when he is sentenced next week.

Nelson, who also uses the name Phuong Thao Nguyen and used to live in Orange County, was also convicted of robbery for stealing Smith’s expensive jewellery and assuming her identity after the killings to buy US$3,000 in clothing and plane tickets for a family vacation in Southern California.

She travelled from North Carolina to Westminster intending to murder Smith, returned home and was arrested when she returned to Orange County on a family vacation. When she was arrested, she had Smith’s stolen credit cards, identification cards and designer luggage.

Smith, known as Miss Ha in the local Vietnamese community, did card and palm readings and had clients across the country. She was famous among Vietnamese-Americans for wearing expensive jewellery.

- Dhuruvan , Malaysia.