Man pleads not guilty in Williams’ death

A San Diego man pleaded not guilty for the murder and sexual assault of Dane Williams today, almost two years after the Huntington Beach resident went missing for three days and was found dead.

Philong Huynh, 34, was charged with 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 Thursday. The second sexual assault case helped shed light on Williams’ death, police said.

Williams went missing Jan. 26, 2008 after leaving a nightclub in San Diego. Authorities found the 23-year-old’s body three days later in a neighborhood alley three miles away. After the initial coroner’s report, authoritative found DNA evidence of an unidentified person.

A DNA link to the second sexual assault was found Aug. 19, San Diego Police Department Lt. Kevin Rooney said. The second victim lived.

Through the cooperation of the second victim and the work of the police department, authorities were able to identify Huynh, Rooney said. The police issued search warrants for two of Huynh’s residences — his official residence, where he appeared not to live, and his real home only 800 feet from the place Williams’ body was apparently dumped, Rooney said.

Huynh is being held in the San Diego Central Jail for $500,000 bail.

Williams’ family declined comment on the case.

The night Williams disappeared, he was in San Diego for a convention with Hurley International, where he was a marketing intern. After the convention, Williams went to the Hard Rock Cafe, where he was last seen leaving at 2 a.m. A video showed Williams walking erratically as he left that night, Rooney said.

The toxicology report showed Williams’ blood alcohol level was more than twice what is legally considered intoxicated. The report also found trace amounts of quinine, which is found in tonic water, and diazepam, or Valium.