Man charged for 2022 Olympia WinCo murder acquitted by reason of insanity

The man accused of murdering a man outside the Olympia Winco in 2022 has been acquitted by reason of insanity.

Judge Allyson Zipp granted a motion for the judgement on Feb. 20, 2026, following a psychological evaluation of the defendant, John Tai Nguyen, that was filed in court that same day. The contents of that evaluation report have been sealed and are not publicly accessible.
Nguyen’s acquittal does not mean he will walk free, however.

The court ordered that Nguyen, 27, be committed at Western State Hospital “so that he may receive adequate care and individualized treatment as is proper in view of his condition.”

Because the maximum penalty for the charge he faced was life in prison, Nguyen can remain at Western State Hospital for the rest of his life.

His mental condition will be reevaluated every six months. He can petition for release from Western State Hospital, but it would have to go through Thurston County Superior Court.

Nguyen faced one count of first-degree murder while armed with a firearm for allegedly shooting a man unprovoked on Sept. 17, 2022. He was 23 at the time.

Nguyen allegedly shot the victim, Ronald Taufa’ase’e, at least 10 times while Tauf’a’ase’e was listening to music in the driver’s seat of a car in the Olympia WinCo’s parking lot, located in the 7500 block of Martin Way East.

Deputies were first dispatched to a report of gunshots heard in the area at about 9:45 p.m.

The victim’s brother reported that he had gone into the store and was inside for about 20 minutes before returning to the car and finding the window broken and his brother bleeding and unconscious in the driver’s seat.

He called 911 at approximatly 10:15 p.m.

Witnesses reported seeing a man, allegedly identified as Nguyen, shooting a gun and walking away from the car at the time of the shooting.
Nguyen had no connection to the victim, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.

When contacted by police, Nguyen allegedly described his route home and said he had heard gunshots and seen police presence while walking home.

A search of Nguyen’s person and backpack yielded a Glock 9mm handgun, three empty magazines, an empty box of 9mm ammunition, a partially full box of 9mm ammunition, and two loose rounds of 9mm ammunition. The ammunition matched the bullet and casings found at the scene.

When arrested and placed into the back of a patrol car, Nguyen allegedly began repeatedly yelling “Let me out of this f—ing car,” kicked the lower part of the cage, and yelled that “he was going to kill the law enforcement officers on scene, kill their families and burn their houses,” court documents read.

Nguyen was booked into the Thurston County Jail and was held without bail until his case was resolved.

He was not listed on the jail roster as of April 24.