For Immediate Release: November 20, 2007

MAN SOUGHT BY FBI AND LOS ANGELES SHERIFFS FOR 2005 MURDER OF HIS WIFE IN CALIFORNIA ARRESTED IN INDONESIA, TO BE RETURNED TO LOS ANGELES

A man wanted in connection with the 2005 murder of his wife in California was arrested on Batam Island, Indonesia, on 11/17/07 by the Indonesian National Police (POLRI) at the request of the FBI, announced Salvador Hernandez, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. Lam, a naturalized U.S. citizen, is suspected of having killed and buried his wife, Susan Lam, in the backyard of their San Gabriel Valley home. In September 2005, Susan Lam's family reported her missing. On September 23, 2005, detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) discovered Susan Lam's body in a shallow grave in the backyard of the Lams' home in Rowland Heights, California. A state warrant was issued by the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, on September 30, 2005, after Lam was charged with murder. When detectives with LASD determined that Lam had fled the state of California, the FBI was requested to assist in the fugitive investigation. Lam is known to have fled from Los Angeles to Singapore, and then to Indonesia, in September 2005. Lam was charged federally with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution (UFAP) and an arrest warrant was issued by the United States District Court, Central District of California, on October 5, 2005. Lam is being returned to the U.S. this evening by the FBI's Legal Attache stationed in Jakarta, accompanied by a police officer with POLRI. Lam's return to the United States will be funded by Project Welcome Home. Project Welcome Home provides the funding to assist in the transportation of FBI fugitives to the United States, where the repatriation by the host country occurs through deportation. It is anticipated that the federal government will dismiss the federal UFAP warrant and Lam will be turned over to deputies with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department to face prosecution by the District Attorney in Los Angeles. The successful investigation and apprehension of Lam overseas was conducted by the FBI's Legal Attaches in Singapore and Jakarta, with the considerable assistance of the Indonesian National Police. The fugitive investigation was conducted by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the FBI in Los Angeles.