Murder-Suicide Victim's Family Files Suit Against College

Nearly three years after the tragic Dunster House murder-suicide, the family of Trang Phuong Ho '96 filed a lawsuit against the University yesterday.

Ho, a junior biology concentrator at the time of her death, was stabbed 45 times by her roommate, Sinedu Tadesse '96, on the morning of May 28, 1995. After fatally wounding Ho and injuring 26 year-old visitor Thao Nguyen, Tadesse hanged herself in the shower of her Dunster H-21 suite.

The suit--filed in Middlesex Superior Court on behalf of the deceased's elder sister Thao Phuong Ho--alleges "wrongful death, conscious pain and suffering and emotional distress," charging the University, Dunster House Master Karel F. Liem, former Dunster House senior tutor Suzi Naiburg and Ho's entryway tutor David B. Lombard, with negligence.

The suit does not specify monetary damages.

According to one of the plantiff's attorneys, Max D. Stern, the family waited to file suit in order to collect evidence and prepare to enter a trial.

"It took some time to investigate the matter for [the family] to decide it was something they wished to pursue," Stern said. "They would not have done it if they had not believed Harvard was truly at fault."

University spokesperson Alex Huppe declined to comment on the suit, noting that he had not yet read the document.

"We can't comment on something we haven't seen," Huppe said.

Stating the University owed Ho the "duty to maintain a reasonably safe and secure environment," the court papers note Tadesse had demonstrated "desperate and antisocial behavior about which University officials "knew or should have known."

The 20 year-old native of Ethiopia had missed three of her four final examinations the week before the murder-suicide, and had sent letters to random individuals expressing her desperation with life.

The suit claims Ho's death "was proximately caused by the failure of the defendants to have adequately monitored Tadesse's situation and progress after having knowledge that she was troubled, and their failure to inform [Ho] of Tadesse's troubles."

In an interview with The Crimson two weeks ago,Liem--who served as academic adviser to both Hoand Tadesse--said he was not to blame for thetragedy.

"There were no warning signs of any kind. Itwas out of the blue," Liem said. "I would say thatit could have happened any place."

This summer, Doubleday published the bookHalfway Heaven: Diary of a HarvardMurder--written by former Harvard writinginstructor Melanie Thernstrom '87--whichchallenged Harvard's advising system and chargedthe University with "calculated efforts towhitewash [its role in] the story."

Although Liem said he has not read the book, hesaid the book's assertions--which include personalattacks against his performance as master--are"very hurtful, no question."

"I can't dwell a long time on that book becauseit's inaccurate," Liem said in the earlierinterview.

"It is sprinkled with truth to make it seemlike it's real," he added.

Huppe critiqued Thernstrom's book shortly afterits release.

"Ms. Thernstrom is a skilled storyteller;however, much of her version of the eventssurrounding this tragedy is at odds with thefacts," he said.

But Thernstrom said "the book is all factuallycorrect," calling her work "very carefullyresearched and documented."

Yesterday, Huppe referred questions about thetragedy to a letter written by Dean of the CollegeHarry R. Lewis '68 to all undergraduate parents inAugust of 1995.

"It appears that neither student was livingoutside the College's carefully woven advisingsystem," Lewis wrote. "Indeed, both students werein close contact with their academic advisor andseemed to be managing the ups and downs of collegelife."

Lombard declined to comment on the suit, andNaiburg was unavailable for comment

In an interview with The Crimson two weeks ago,Liem--who served as academic adviser to both Hoand Tadesse--said he was not to blame for thetragedy.

"There were no warning signs of any kind. Itwas out of the blue," Liem said. "I would say thatit could have happened any place."

This summer, Doubleday published the bookHalfway Heaven: Diary of a HarvardMurder--written by former Harvard writinginstructor Melanie Thernstrom '87--whichchallenged Harvard's advising system and chargedthe University with "calculated efforts towhitewash [its role in] the story."

Although Liem said he has not read the book, hesaid the book's assertions--which include personalattacks against his performance as master--are"very hurtful, no question."

"I can't dwell a long time on that book becauseit's inaccurate," Liem said in the earlierinterview.

"It is sprinkled with truth to make it seemlike it's real," he added.

Huppe critiqued Thernstrom's book shortly afterits release.

"Ms. Thernstrom is a skilled storyteller;however, much of her version of the eventssurrounding this tragedy is at odds with thefacts," he said.

But Thernstrom said "the book is all factuallycorrect," calling her work "very carefullyresearched and documented."

Yesterday, Huppe referred questions about thetragedy to a letter written by Dean of the CollegeHarry R. Lewis '68 to all undergraduate parents inAugust of 1995.

"It appears that neither student was livingoutside the College's carefully woven advisingsystem," Lewis wrote. "Indeed, both students werein close contact with their academic advisor andseemed to be managing the ups and downs of collegelife."

Lombard declined to comment on the suit, andNaiburg was unavailable for comment