Son charged in Oberlin shooting deaths of college professor and Tran Thi Phong
Daniel Jones, 31, has been charged with six counts of murder in the shooting deaths of Pipo Nguyen-Duy, 64, and Tran Thi Phong, 56, who were found dead in their home in Oberlin. According to The Guardian, Jones is Nguyen-Duy's son and was arrested on Wednesday in connection with the killings. He also faces four counts of felonious assault, a serious form of assault, and one count of tampering with evidence, which means interfering with items that could be used in an investigation.
Nguyen-Duy worked at Oberlin College for nearly 30 years as a professor of photography and served as studio art chair, the head of the college's studio art department. He had been named a Guggenheim fellow. He migrated to the United States from Vietnam in 1975 as a political refugee, meaning he left his homeland for political reasons.
The case developed in several steps. Officers conducted a wellness check at the home after Jones's arrest, a visit to make sure people are safe, and found Nguyen-Duy and Tran Thi Phong shot to death after forcing their way inside. Investigators also found a Toyota hatchback with Oregon license plates registered to Jones. Inside the car were his wallet, his passport and ammunition.
Jones was found about a mile away more than an hour later, after a resident reported a "wet, disheveled man" at her front door. He was taken into custody without incident. According to The Guardian, he had cuts to his face and injuries to his hand and arm at the time of arrest.
Jones appeared in court on Thursday for an initial hearing. He did not enter a plea, and he was held on $3m bail, the amount of money that would need to be paid for his release before trial.
His name has also become part of the case. Jones's lawyer, Jenifer Berki Merrill, said he prefers to go by his birth name, Asia Nguyen-Duy. A prosecutor said Jones was formerly known by that name, according to ABC News.
