chen family murders virginia

Edward Y. Chen admitted in a Fairfax County courtroom yesterday that he shot his parents and older brother to death inside their Great Falls home in 1995, then left their bodies inside the house. Ed had told Vickie his parents and brother had all died tragically. Chen had owned a restaurant, but the business was all but closed for about two years, leading to questions about how he made a living, sources also told the newspaper. A picture of Eds mom, Yei-Mei and their mansion. In addition, two women testified that, in the 1970s, Bramblett had given them alcohol and molested them when they were eleven and fourteen years old.[1]. A DNA test on a pubic hair found in the bedroom where the girls were found was matched to Bramblett. Investigation Discoverys Forbidden: Dying For Love: Family Matters chronicles the strange incident and shows how the police built a case against the perpetrator even without the bodies. As reported by A&E, one of Chen's coworkers went to his home to find out why he did not show up for work. However, a search of the Chens former residence revealed a dried-up blood stain, which matched Wu-Hungs blood, and convinced the police of Edwards involvement. The victims had head and facial fractures caused by a knife and hammer, the newspaper said, citing a report in the Chinese-language newspaper World Journal. Local resident Jacob Beard was convicted of the murder in 1993, but he was later acquitted of all charges in a second trial in 2000. What exactly do you call a gathering of Chads? [3], From the beginning there were allegations that the Chens had been involved in illegal business activities in addition to, or even instead of, the restaurant, such as human trafficking, money laundering, or illegal gambling. A World Journal reporter in attendance later told the Albany Times-Union that she and her colleagues believed the family knew more about what might have led to the killings than they were ready to say publicly. Vickie started becoming suspicious when she would get phone calls about a Raymond Chen, Eds brother. Police are asking anyone with information to call Detective Spooner at (703) 246-7800, or contact Crime Solvers by visiting http://www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org or text-a-tip by texting TIP187 plus your message to CRIMES(274637). [3], The Guilderland police responded, and soon began sealing off the crime scene, later assisted by the New York State Police, whose detectives were seen the following morning combing through the area behind and near the house. 60 is still pretty young, and who knows, he could hurt someone else again. He went to the Chens' house a half-mile (1km) away, on Western Avenue (U.S. Route 20), a busy four-lane highway, and found the bodies. At his arraignment Monday, Chen told the court he is not employed. [1], At around 4:30a.m. on August 29, 1994, a passerby reported a fire at the Hodges residence in Vinton, Virginia. That night, he admitted to investigators that he had purchased a .30-30 Winchester rifle, went into his family members' bedrooms in the middle of the night and shot them. Tips can also be submitted by calling 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), or call Fairfax County Police at (703) 691-2131. Bramblett was executed by electric chair on April 9, 2003. I watched an episode of Deadline Crime for my research on this case. [3] In addition to the NYPD and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), both of which made interpreters available, investigators had reached out for help to police departments not only in other North American cities with large Asian populations, such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and Montreal, but to law enforcement in China, as well. He was 20 when his family disappeared, according to police. According to A&E, District Attorney P. David Soares said he thinks the murders were "a very intentional act" and that the Chens were "very intended targets." Chen Jinfeng () and his similarly aged wife, Hai Yan Li (), natives of Houyu[5] in the province of Fujian on the southeastern shore of mainland China, came to the U.S. in the early 2000s. Soon police gathered additional incriminating evidence against Bramblett. He said his parents had heard the noise, and he went into their bedroom. Fairfax County tax records indicate that while the family home changed hands in 2000 for $310,000, it is valued at $702,780 for tax purposes today. The episode, dubbed "Ghosts of Great Falls," contains dramatizations of real-life events. [5], A week after the killings, the Times-Union reported that there was some evidence to support those claims as the New York City Police Department (NYPD) began assisting by investigating possible leads in its jurisdiction. [1], Local law enforcement officials said later that the investigation progressed very slowly during its first 48 hours, a crucial period. My brother and my parents." [6] They attended the local elementary school. I feel very guilty for what I did.". In the meantime, the younger Chen, like his brother a graduate of Herndon High School, sold the family's home in Seneca Knoll for $310,000. Jin Feng Chen's brother denied the rumors. Horan has indicated he will consider seeking the death sentence for the younger Chen. Chen, the newspaper said, had allegedly been involved in large transfers of unrecorded cash used to pay undocumented Chinese workers at restaurants in the New York City area, the Capital District and beyond,[9] transporting them from Chinatown to their jobs and back and providing accommodation in cities too far away for day bus trips. The Chen's were very successful business people, they lived in a nice mansion in a very wealthy neighborhood. EDWARD CHEN, who attended the University of Virginia for a time, apparently lived in the Great Falls house for a time before he moved to Herndon, fathered a child, and divorced her mother, Horan said. Although the police had no idea that the family was missing, she claimed that the triple murder occurred in August 1995. Fairfax County Police are searching for their bodies, Horan said. Her sisters, Caroline and Mary, were widows who helped the unmarried Virginian run the boarding school for girls. [6] Even so, Soares admitted at a news conference around the anniversary of the Chens' deaths that very little progress had been made. I personally think 36 years is a light sentence for 3 brutal murders. [3], Further inspection of the Hodges house revealed purposefully-disconnected telephone lines and the presence of a petroleum-based accelerant in several areas. The Unsolved Chen Family Murders of Upstate New York Remain Shrouded in Mystery, https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/chen-family-murder. Ed Chen murdered his mother, father, and brother in their home and went undiscovered until 2002. During her conversation with 6 News, she said, "Everyone knows this will be unsolved forever. They did just that. "And one night I really just lost my nerve, lost my mind and I did it," Chen told Fairfax detectives. Chen allegedly held a gambling party the night before he was murdered, and the killer wanted to steal cash from the home, according to a report by Sing Tao, a Chinese language newspaper cited by the Times Union. Ed Chen murdered his moth While the family was considered good-natured and quite generous, people who knew them mentioned how they would frequently travel to Taiwan to meet their relatives. He previously covered crime and courts for the Kansas City Star. He was 20 when his family disappeared, according to police. Chen family killings Cheshire home invasion murders Chisolm Massacre Clutter family murders Darnell Collins Kevin Cooper (prisoner) 2011 Copley Township shooting Corbly Family massacre Manuel Martnez Coronado Covina massacre Cowden family murders Lugano District shootings D Dardeen family homicides Dawson murder case 2011 murder of the Ding family Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Edward lived off rental incomes for a while, but with expensive tastes and mounting bills decided to start selling the family properties. In the spring of 2002, the Fairfax County police department received a phone call from Vickie Henry, who claimed that Wu-Hung, Weh-Mei, and Raymond had been murdered in August 1995. Ashley Freeman and Lauria Bible: The Mysterious Murders of Teenage Best Friends, The Yogurt Shop Murders Cold Case: Revisiting the Scene of the Crime, The Cold Case Murders That Keep Retired Detectives Up at Night. I am going to my death having had a great life because of my two great sons, Mike and Doug. Friday, a family member had attempted to contact the family and visited the house when he or she was unable to make contact, a FairfaxCounty police representative said. Investigation Discovery, "Forbidden - Dying for Love": https://bit.ly/3nCNpTR, Deadline: Crime with Tamron Hall, "Ghosts of Great Falls": https://bit.ly/3u1k7AQ, Washingtonian Magazine, "Love and Murder in Great Falls": https://bit.ly/3eE3rc6, Washington Post, "VA Family Vanishes": https://wapo.st/2R8nQhg, Washington Post, "Fairfax Man Admits Killing Parents, Brother": https://wapo.st/2QEQqqK, Washington Post, "Killer's Ex-Girlfriend Pleads Guilty": https://wapo.st/3vm0sM2. In the weeks following the murder, local Pastor Charlie Muller's church donated $5,000 for a reward. SINCE 1995, when his family disappeared, Chen has told people in the family's native country, Taiwan, that his family died in a car wreck in the United States. Horan said he would not seek charges against Chen's ex-wife, who saw the bodies but did not report the killings, or Reese. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. The Chens were a very traditional family, but they came to the U.S. so that the boys could go to school. The disturbing case of the Chen family from Fairfax County in Virginia .If you enjoy my narration, please subscribe to my channel and click the bell icon for more true crime stories every. However, Mandy never turned Ed in, they got married, had a child together and were married for about two years. Though police are searching for the family's remains, Horan, who's never lost a murder trial, said he thinks he can get a conviction even without the bodies. It also said that an unnamed source had told the paper that Chen had shut down his restaurant two years earlier and his wife was in the U.S. illegally. I couldnt find any pictures of the whole family. July 17, 2022 In a strange and surprising development, one Vickie Henry called the Fairfax County police department and claimed that she had information about the murders of Wu-Hung, Weh-Mei, and Raymond Chen. On May 29, 2019, Rachel Ozuna, her 14-year-old son Kyrrus and her boyfriend, Michael Coleman, were found in their Arlene Acres Drive home bound with their throats cut. I dont believe hes sorry about what he did. Although the police had no idea that the family was missing, she claimed that the triple murder occurred in August 1995. The police said he was very matter of fact and didnt show much emotion. As reported by A&E, some sources have suggested Jin Feng Chenwas involved in an operation involving undocumented Chinese restaurant employees throughout the region. Police responded and discovered the bodies inside. The bodies were found Friday in a house on the 1300 block of Windy Hill Road. He revealed the crime to Kolbe, but she said she didn't report it because she both loved and feared Chen. This page is not available in other languages. Muller is the pastor of Victory Church, located in Albany, which has offered a $5,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case. However, in the years before he was killed, the business was not very profitable, and some sources questioned how he maintained his lifestyle with the reduced income. They lived a quiet, uneventful life, and people had no idea about the tragedy that would befall the family. The brothers lived in a house in Herndon, and each graduated from Herndon High School. Yep, thats right FOUR YEARS. In a strange and surprising development, one Vickie Henry called the Fairfax County police department and claimed that she had information about the murders of Wu-Hung, Weh-Mei, and Raymond Chen. [4] They have also considered whether the killings are connected to two other unsolved slayings of Chinese immigrant families elsewhere in the U.S. during the early 2010s.

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