Two more people have been charged with murder after a man was allegedly abducted at gunpoint and tortured for hours.
Van Dam Nguyen, 52, died in a Brisbane specialist care ward on January 7 after police said he was admitted to a hospital the previous day with “significant head injuries”.
On Sunday, Queensland Police arrested Liam Peter Johnston, 29, and Curtis Alan McCallum, 26.
Police allege Nguyen and two friends met one of the accused in Inala, an outer suburb of Brisbane, on January 5 and were kidnapped with the “significant threat of violence”.
Following the arrests of McCallum and Johnston, police have also released disturbing pictures of a man with his hands up getting out of a vehicle as a masked man aims a gun at him.
They allege Nguyen and two friends were taken to a different location where they were tortured for hours before being taken back to their car.
One of the friends allegedly suffered cuts, bruises and a broken leg. The other had serious facial injuries.
Police released the confronting pictures on Sunday hoping they would assist their inquiries.
“We hope these images, not previously released, assist those who may not yet have come forward yet with important information,” Detective Inspector Chris Knight said.
However, homicide investigators said they don’t believe any other people were involved after McCallum and Johnston became the fourth and fifth people charged over the alleged kidnappings.
Samuel David Vernon and Coen James Keneally were arrested and charged in January with Nguyen’s kidnapping and murder.
In May, Tremayne Michael Meagher was charged with murder.
Knight said the latest arrests highlighted months of exhaustive forensic examination, intelligence gathering and co-ordinated efforts by specialist units.
“This investigation has been long-running and complex, involving multiple scenes, offenders and serious allegations,” he said.
“We will allege this group was known to each other, and their actions resulted in the tragic death of a man who sustained catastrophic injuries.”
McCallum was not required to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday.
Johnston appeared by videolink before acting magistrate Mark Whitbread. He said nothing except to confirm his identity.
Both defendants have been charged with murder, grievous bodily harm and two counts of torture.
Johnston was additionally charged with drug possession.
Both were also charged with assault occasioning bodily harm, two counts of deprivation of liberty, one count of break-in, two counts of kidnapping, receiving stolen property, four counts of armed robbery and two counts of vehicle theft.
McCallum and Johnston did not apply for bail. Whitbread remanded them in custody ahead of their next court mention on September 1.
-AAP
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