Hue Ai Lam, one of two sisters who were charged and later acquitted in the 2022 killing of their elderly mother, has passed away. She died on April 28, according to her defense lawyer, Paolo Giancaterino.
Acquittal and Appeal
Last August, a jury found both Hue Ai Lam and her sister, Chau Kahn Lam, not guilty of first-degree murder in the death of their mother, Kieu Lam, in October 2022. Weeks after the acquittal, the Crown attorney's office filed an appeal seeking a new trial.
Cause of Death
Giancaterino confirmed that Hue Ai Lam died from complications of Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), a neurodegenerative disease that was diagnosed during the 2025 trial. She had previously been misdiagnosed with Parkinson's disease. MSA causes loss of coordination and balance, speech changes, and loss of control over other body parts, with symptoms similar to Parkinson's.
“It's easy to conflate the two because they're very similar in terms of what the effects are,” Giancaterino said.
Legal Implications
Giancaterino noted that he has informed 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. However, he believes the appeal regarding Chau Kahn Lam's acquittal will proceed.
Giancaterino expressed relief that Hue Ai Lam did not pass away while in custody. “We're still in touch with Chau Kahn Lam,” he added. “And I actually went to see her yesterday to bring her flowers.”
The Lam sisters had pleaded not guilty to the murder charges, and after nearly three years, a jury acquitted them. The case drew significant attention in Ottawa.
