Win Min Htut Htut

Win Min Htut, of Bethlehem, seen here being led to his preliminary hearing in Lehigh County Court.

(Express-Times Photo | BILL ADAMS)

For one glorious month, Win Min Htut's wife and kids were free.

After years of physical, verbal and mental abuse, Thida Myint filed for a protection-of-abuse order and the family had one month away from Htut, their daughter wrote in a letter read today in Lehigh County Court.

"I wish that moment could have lasted longer," Wint Thu wrote.

The day the PFA was extended on Dec. 17, Htut killed his wife, shooting her in the head in front of their three children in the street near their Bethlehem home, prosecutors said. Myint was 37.

In court today, Htut pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for killing his wife and he waived his appeal rights, in exchange for prosecutors dropping the death penalty. Htut was sentenced to life behind bars without parole.

Htut, who came to America in 2004 from Myanmar, denied the abuse claims. He broke down in court when he said he came to the United States for "a better life for my family." Htut had only finished ninth grade in Myanmar, the Southeast Asia country also known as Burma. He was a day trader and worked as a sushi chef at Wegmans on Route 512.

"When they got here, I never hurt them. Not physically," Htut said in Burmese, later saying in English he told his wife, "I take care of the business, you take care of the kids."

"That's all I said to her," the 38-year-old Htut said.

Htut claimed "all of this wouldn't have happened" if his wife hadn't "lied" to get the PFA.

"I would never hurt my kids. Ever," Htut said.

The couple's three children were not in the courtroom, but Htut's words drew anger from Myint's sister, who stomped her foot on the floor and yelled at him in Burmese. At one point, Htut, who was in shackles, turned to look at her before sheriff's deputies stopped him.

When Htut was led out of the courtroom, the sister, who is named The The, angled between people in the audience to point her finger at him and yell at him again until family members calmed her down.

"You terrorized your family, you murdered your wife and I don't see here much remorse for your actions," Judge Robert Steinberg told Htut before sentencing him.

A life of abuse

First Assistant District Attorney Steven Luksa said Htut's behavior was the textbook example of domestic violence.

Letters from Htut's eldest daughter, read by Kimberly Silvestri, the county's victim and witness coordinator, detailed a controlling and abusive home life where the family felt like Htut's prisoners.

"I've always wanted to be free from your abuse and oppression but this is not the way I wanted it to go," the 17-year-old Thu's letter began.

The teenage girl said her father was physically, verbally and mentally abusive to the family for years and when the physical abuse stopped, the verbal and mental abuse continued. Htut would call his wife, eldest daughter and son "whore," "retard" or "slut," the girl wrote.

The girl said her mother told her of Htut's previous abuse when the girl was 8 years old.

"I know everything you did," the daughter wrote.

The girl said at one point she helped her mother "escape" in Thailand and Myint's sister said Myint ran to the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok after Htut tried to kill her.

Myint was considering divorce when Htut's father convinced her to move to America with the kids for their education and promised her she could get a divorce, the family said.

Instead, the daughter wrote, Htut and his family tried to isolate Myint from her family in Myanmar. Myint was allowed a phone call with her mother once every few months, and it had to be done on speaker so Htut could listen to the conversation, the family wrote.

"You gave us a home, but in return we couldn't leave," the daughter wrote.

While Htut accused his wife of cheating on him, becoming angry if an unrecognized number was on her cellphone, he cheated on his wife and fathered a child with the other woman, the daughter wrote. The statement drew gasps from people in the courtroom audience.

"Mom didn't deserve this. You didn't deserve her," the girl wrote. "Your sentencing will be closure and I hope I never see you again."

A new chapter

"The commonwealth got everything it wanted," Luksa said of today's plea deal.

The plea helped avoid a trial where the children may have had to testify against their father about their mother's murder, Luksa said. The life sentence keeps Htut away from his kids and the appeals waiver lets them close this chapter of their lives without worrying about new court opinions and hearings, Luksa said.

Luksa said county Children and Youth Services are involved with the children; Htut's parental rights have to be extinguished.

Myint's family came from Myanmar and the kids have tremendous support from family and the community, Luksa said. The eldest daughter became a U.S. citizen and The The promised to fulfill Myint's wishes that her children be educated.

"They have a chance to achieve all the things their mom wanted them to achieve," Luksa said.