A Melbourne man was shot dead in his home after his pregnant wife disturbed an intruder who may have been trying to steal his cannabis crop, police say.
Toan Truong, 43, was asleep when a man broke into his Sunshine West home about 5am on February 3 last year.
He woke after his pregnant wife, Gwen, disturbed the intruder, and he went to help her, police say. Mr Truong chased the man into a bedroom at the back of the house, where he was killed.
Police are still looking for the killer , who fled the scene in a car they believe was parked nearby, without stealing the cannabis. They believe at least three people were involved in the incident.
Acting Detective Inspector Peter Trichias said on Friday that police believed the man was linked to a drug syndicate which targeted homes in the western suburbs where cannabis crops were grown.
He said they thought the man had intended to steal Mr Truong's own crop, set up in one of his bedrooms.
Detective Trichias said police had already charged five offenders linked to the syndicate in the past.
"Toan was a decent person, he was a family man. He worked hard. He had some personal problems back in the day and he chose this path of growing crops in his house to get extra income," he said.
The victim was not an "entrenched criminal" and there was no evidence he knew his killer or was in any way linked to the syndicate, Detective Trichias said.
Police are urging witnesses in the area or associates of the offenders to come forward if they have any information about the murder.
Detective Trichias said a late model, dark-coloured Ford Falcon sedan and a BMW coupe were both seen driving in the area of the house before and after the murder that night.