One of the two sisters charged and acquitted in the 2022 killing of their elderly mother has herself passed away.
Hue Ai Lam died April 28, defence lawyer Paolo Giancaterino confirmed to the Ottawa Citizen on Saturday.
In an interview, Giancaterino said Lam died from complications of Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), which was diagnosed during the 2025 trial, adding that she was previously misdiagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
“We’re still in touch with (sister Chau Kahn Lam),” he said. “And I actually went to see her yesterday to bring her flowers.”
The Lam sisters were charged with first-degree murder in the death of their mother, Kieu Lam, in October 2022. They pleaded not guilty and last August, nearly three years later, a jury later found them not guilty.
Weeks later, the Crown attorney’s office appealed the acquittals , seeking a new trial.
Giancaterino said he was glad Hue Ai Lam did not pass away in custody.
MSA is a neurodegenerative disease that causes people to lose co-ordination and balance. It can also cause changes in speech and loss of control of other body parts. It sometimes has similar symptoms to Parkinson’s disease.
“It’s easy to conflate the two because they’re very similar in terms of what the effects are,” Giancaterino said.
Giancaterino said he had notified the Crown attorney of Hue Ai Lam’s death.
“Once they’re satisfied confirming the death, they will abandon the appeal against her,” he said.
He said he believed the appeal of the acquittal of Chau Kahn Lam would proceed.
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