Alameda County Approves $36M Settlement in Deputy’s Murder of Dublin Couple
The 2022 killings exposed sweeping failures in Alameda County’s psychological screening of sheriff's deputies; County also settles case involving former PIO who accused Pamela Price of anti-Asian bias
☕️MORNING BUZZ
Vol. VI, No. 1,267
—The Alameda County Board of Supervisors announced Tuesday night a $36 million settlement in the high-profile wrongful death case stemming from the 2022 murders of a Dublin couple by an Alameda County sheriff’s deputy.
The killings became one of the most explosive scandals in recent Alameda County law enforcement history, exposing major failures in the Sheriff’s Office psychological screening system.
Former Alameda County sheriff’s deputy Devin Williams Jr. drove to the Trans’ Dublin home shortly after midnight on Sept. 7, 2022.
Williams, who was allegedly involved in a romantic affair with Maria Tran, used his county-issued service weapon to fatally shoot both Maria Tran, a psychiatric nurse, and her husband, Benison Tran, while family members, including the couple’s teenage son, were inside the home.
Williams fled after the shootings, triggering a regional manhunt before surrendering hours later near Coalinga in the Central Valley.
—The case quickly widened into a broader scandal surrounding the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office under former Sheriff Greg Ahern.
Investigations later revealed Williams had reportedly received a “D. Not Suited” rating during his psychological evaluation — a designation indicating he was unfit for law enforcement work — but was hired anyway.
The disclosure prompted an internal audit that found 47 deputies hired between 2016 and 2022 had similarly failed or received disqualifying psychological findings while still serving as armed peace officers.
The Tran family later filed wrongful death lawsuits against the county and Sheriff’s Office, alleging the killings were preventable because Williams should never have remained employed as a deputy.
County officials said the settlement, approved during a March 24 closed session meeting, consolidated multiple cases filed by surviving members of the Tran family.
In October 2024, Williams was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and later sentenced to 50 years to life in prison.
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