Williams suspect to stand trial Nov. 13

A San Diego man charged with the death of Huntington Beach resident Dane Williams, who went missing for three days before being found dead in January 2008, has a warrant out for his arrest in Arizona and has begun the court process to begin trial.

Philong Huynh, 39, pleaded not guilty to one count of murder and one count of sexual assault for allegedly drugging and raping Williams. He was charged with an additional count of sexual assault for a separate case.

Huynh was arrested by the San Diego Police Department on Sept. 10 and appeared in court Tuesday. He has a court date set for Nov. 13 and a preliminary hearing for Dec. 17, said Paul Levikow, director of communication for the San Diego District Attorney.

The Arizona warrant is not a extraditable offense, said Lt. Kevin Rooney of the San Diego Police Department.

Williams went missing Jan. 26, 2008, after leaving a nightclub in San Diego’s Gaslight district. Authorities found the 23-year-old’s body three days later in a neighborhood alley three miles away. After the initial coroner’s report, authorities found DNA evidence of an unidentified person, but couldn’t link the death to Huynh until he allegedly committed a second sexual assault.

The second arrest and advances in technology led the San Diego Police Department to discover a link to Williams’ case Aug. 19.

Both victims were allegedly abducted in San Diego’s Gaslight district, Rooney said. Through the cooperation of the second victim and the work of the police department, authorities were able to identify Huynh, Rooney said.

— Britney Barnes