An Oberlin College professor and his wife were allegedly killed by his adult son, who then set his own car on fire as a distraction.
Daniel Jones has been accused of fatally shooting his dad, Pipo Nguyen-Duy, and his wife, Thi Tran Phong, according to Cleveland 19. Following the murders, Jones, 32, allegedly set his own car on fire in the Oberlin College parking lot in Oberlin, Ohio.
Authorities said that Nguyen-Duy’s body was found on the first floor of the couple’s home, and Phong, 56, was located in a second-story bedroom.
Jones reportedly used a wood stove heater that was equipped with a makeshift chimney poking out of the roof to set the fire.
Officials initially tracked down Jones due to the suspicious nature of the fire, and they later learned about the killings when they performed a wellness check at Nguyen-Duy, 64, and Phong’s home.
Once the fire in Jones’ car was put out, firefighters reported finding personal items in a cardboard box that included his passport, live ammunition rounds and keys.
Jones was arrested on Wednesday, October 28, and was taken into custody at Lorain County Jail. He has since been charged with six counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault and one count of tampering with evidence.
At his arraignment herding on Thursday, October 29, Jones donned a blank expression as he stared at the floor while the judge addressed him, according to Fox 8.
Prosecutor Zachary Simonoff told the judge during the hearing that Jones “said ‘everything I did was on my own accord, and I take full responsibility.’”
Simonoff also said that the defendant offered a confession to the crimes. “According to the report, he told the officers that he killed his family and gave them the address as 33 South Pleasant Street,” the prosecutor said.
It’s not currently clear whether Jones had a motive in the killings, but family members and witnesses who spoke to authorities shared insight into his mindset.
“The defendant’s mother, who lives in Oregon, has been in contact with the Oberlin police and told them that he is currently psychotic and that he needs medication,” Simonoff said.
Police in Washington state claim that a schizophrenic man who had been off his medications ended up murdering his own mother this week by viciously stomping on her neck up to seven times. Antony Ton Le was arrested for criminal homicide on Tuesday, February 24, after allegedly choking out his mother and “curb stomping” her […]
Meanwhile, witness Greg Poirson spoke to Fox 8 about the incident and claimed that Jones appeared disheveled and erratic the last time he saw him. Poirson went on to claim that Jones jumped out of a neighbor’s car and claimed he was fleeing a cult.
Thursday’s hearing concluded with the judge setting Jones’ bond at $3 million.
It appears that Jones has not yet entered a plea, and it’s not currently clear whether he has retained legal counsel following his arrest.
