Ceremonies planned for owner of Collinsville nail salon allegedly killed by son
A Fairview Heights funeral home has released an obituary with arrangements for Terrie Nguyen, owner of a Collinsville nail salon who was found dead on Dec. 27 in her O’Fallon home.
Her son, David Nguyen, is accused of killing her and trying to blow up the house to conceal the murder.
The obituary describes Terrie Nguyen as a proud business owner known for her kindness, hard work, dedication, generosity, welcoming spirit and “rare gift for making everyone feel seen and valued.”
“Outside of her work life, Terrie was a devoted Buddhist,” the obituary states. “Her work with Buddhist was just as impactful as the impression she had at her own business. She loved her Buddhist family deeply, here in St. Louis, and also in Louisville, Kentucky.”
Terrie Nguyen was 72.
She’s also survived by her other son, Solomon Nguyen, his wife, Jessica, and their two children, Dellana and Sawyer, described as the “light of her life;” and a nephew, Anthony Vo.
“Family meant everything to Terrie, and she found her greatest joy in time spent with those she loved,” the obituary states.
Solomon Nguyen and Vo work at the salon, Magic Nails, which Terrie Nguyen operated for nearly 30 years. Customers have posted dozens of moving tributes on social media. They called her “Tracy” at work.
David Nguyen, 38, lived with his mother. He was arrested Dec. 27 after a police chase in Missouri.
A visitation for Terrie Nguyen is planned from 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday at Lake View Funeral Home, followed by a religious ceremony from 5 to 8 p.m. Another religious ceremony will take place from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday.
“Terrie had a deep love for her religion, where she found peace, community, and spiritual grounding,” the obituary states. “She also found happiness by the beach, drawn to the calm of the water and the simple beauty of the shoreline — places where she felt most at home.”
Terrie Nguyen was a native of Vietnam who immigrated to the United States in the 1980s, according to Vo. Her obituary photo shows her as a young woman at the beach.
“Terrie will be remembered for her compassion, strength, and gentle presence. Her memory will live on through the many lives she touched and the love she shared so freely,” the obituary states.
“She will be deeply missed and forever loved.”
Police went to Terrie Nguyen’s home at 1333 Bossler Lane in O’Fallon about 1:30 p.m. Dec. 27 to do a welfare check after family members were unable to reach her, according to news releases from O’Fallon Police Department. They determined her death to be “suspicious” and the result of violence.
St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. said Terrie Nguyen was pronounced dead at the scene. Dye’s office is conducting an autopsy. An official cause of death hadn’t been released as of Monday afternoon.
On Wednesday, St. Clair County state’s attorney’s office charged David Nguyen with one count of murder/intent to kill/injure and one count of concealment of a homicidal death.
The charging document alleges that, in regard to the first count, David Nguyen “stuck Terrie Nguyen about the face and placed plastic wrap over her nose and mouth.”
The document also describes allegations related to the second count of concealment.
“(David Nguyen), with knowledge that Terrie Nguyen had died by homicidal means, concealed the death of Terrie Nguyen by activating unlit gas burners on a stove to fill the house with gas and left a lit candle inside the house with the intent to cause an explosion,” the document states.
One news release from O’Fallon Police Department described events leading up to David Nguyen’s arrest. He had been identified as a “person of interest” early in the investigation.
“Efforts to locate him were immediately initiated,” the release stated. “At approximately 4:30pm that same day, the Missouri State Highway Patrol located David traveling westbound on Interstate 70 near Concordia, Missouri. David attempted to flee from troopers but was taken into custody following a crash on I-70 at mile marker 51.
“David was transported to a local hospital for treatment, charged with felony fleeing, and subsequently released into the custody of the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department.”
David Nguyen was driving a light gray Toyota Tacoma truck when he crashed, according to police. He remains in custody in Lafayette County pending extradition to Illinois.
This story was originally published January 5, 2026 at 3:48 PM.
