Police arrest three suspects in 2001 cold case stabbing murder

Three men were arrested last week in connection with a cold case homicide in San Jose in 2001, police said.

Nhin Phi Ha, 22, died after being stabbed by two suspects in front of his apartment complex on Avalani Avenue on Oct. 31, 2001.

A friend of Ha’s was also stabbed multiple times, but survived his injuries, police said.

The two suspects fled the scene in a vehicle driven by the third suspect.

On Oct. 6, police arrested three San Jose men, two aged 45 and one 47-year-old, on suspicion of crimes that include homicide and assault with a deadly weapon. Their charges include gang enhancements. They were booked at Santa Clara County Jail.

The case was worked on for the last two decades by various detectives. It was brought to the San Jose Police Department and District Attorney’s Office Cold Case team in August 2021. The teams re-interviewed witnesses and were able to solve the case.