Man accused of killing his mother and trying to blow up her O’Fallon home
The son of a 72-year-old woman found dead in her O’Fallon home on Saturday has been charged with her murder.
David Nguyen, 38, faces one count of murder/intent to kill/injure and one count of concealment of a homicidal death, according to a news release from O’Fallon Police Department on Wednesday.
Charging documents filed by the St. Clair County state’s attorney’s office allege 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 described allegations related to the second count.
“(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,” it stated.
Police announced on Saturday that they had responded to a home in the 1300 block of Bossler Lane about 1:30 p.m. and found a woman dead, and that a “person of interest” had been arrested.
St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. said the 72-year-old victim was pronounced dead at the scene and that his office would be conducting an autopsy.
“Her cause of death is undetermined,” O’Fallon police Lt. Patrick Feldhake said on Wednesday. “We haven’t got the autopsy report back yet.”
Police went to Terrie Nguyen’s home to do a welfare check after family members were unable to reach her, the release stated. They determined her death to be “suspicious” and the result of violence.
“Early in the investigation, (David Nguyen) was identified as a person of interest,” the release stated.
“Efforts to locate him were immediately initiated. 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, Feldhake said.
On Wednesday, the St. Clair County state’s attorney’s office formally charged David Nguyen. He remains in custody in Lafayette County pending extradition to Illinois, the release stated.
Terrie Nguyen is being fondly remembered on social media by customers at a Collinsville nail salon.
“She went by Tracy at work,” Feldhake said.
In the release posted on Facebook, O’Fallon Police Department thanked the Missouri State Highway Patrol and other assisting Missouri agencies for their “swift and professional cooperation, which enabled an efficient resolution to this investigation.”
“We still have a few outlying leads that we’re following up on,” Feldhake said. “But we’ve got most of it wrapped up.”
This story was originally published December 31, 2025 at 2:29 PM.
