Life Sentence Possible For Wife Who Burned Husband With Boiling Oil

Cascade-The woman accused of throwing boiling cooking oil on her husband is now facing charges that could lead to a life sentence.

"Assault with intent to commit murder," explains 63rd District Court Judge Sara Smolenski. "Punishable by possible life in jail."

At her arraignment before Judge Smolenski, 49 year old My-Hanh Thi Nguyen said she came to Grand Rapids from Vietnam in 1987. She said she works as a cook at The Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.

"Since 1996", says Nguyen.

But the grandmother did not say anything about the boiling hot cooking oil police believe she poured on her husband Friday morning.

"With the intent to kill him", says Judge Smolenski as she explains the charges to the woman.

Nguyen is charges with assault with intent to murder and assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder.

At about 6:30 Friday morning investigators say Nguyen was using hot cooking oil in the kitchen of her home in the Crystal Springs subdivision in Gaines Township. She and her husband had been arguing for several days.

According to the charges she poured the burning oil on her 48 year old spouse.

"The issue number one is survival," says Spectrum Health Burn Specialist Dr. Willard Stawski. "That's number one."

The husband has second and third degree burns on over 75 percent of his body. Doctors say this kind of injury is life threatening and frequently fatal.

"Absolutely," says Dr. Stawski. "It is life threatening in many ways. One is temperature control. Sensation is lost. The increase risk of infection occurs."

The judge refuse to lower the 250 thousand dollar bond Nguyen must pay to get out of jail on bond. More may be learned about the evidence that led to the charges and a possible motive at her preliminary hearing in two weeks.